The director of the Dominican Port Authority (Apordom), Jean Luis Rodríguez, announced on Wednesday that the number of cruise passengers arriving in the Dominican Republic has significantly increased compared to the previous year.
In 2023, a total of 801,878 cruise tourists arrived in the country through various ports, whereas only 337,715 visitors arrived in 2021.
Rodriguez shared this information on his Twitter account and highlighted the remarkable growth in cruise passenger arrivals, stating that they continued to experience a rapid and exponential increase in the arrival of cruise passengers, as evidenced by these figures that reflected a 237.44% increase in arrivals through different ports in the country.
Data from the Port Authority shows that in January 2023, 272,005 passengers arrived, marking a significant increase of 255.19% compared to the same month in 2022, which saw 106,589 arrivals. In February 2023, 250,918 passengers arrived, representing a 256.54% increase compared to February 2022, which had 97,808 arrivals. Similarly, in March 2023, there was a 209.24% increase with 278,955 cruise passengers arriving in the country, compared to 133,318 arrivals in March 2022.
Rodriguez emphasized that these numbers demonstrate the country's success in diversifying its tourism platform and being on the verge of becoming the leading cruise hub in the region. He further noted that the arrival of cruise ships and their passengers by sea is promoting economic development and revitalization in various parts of the country.
Image: Port of Puerto Plata-Amber Cove (Dominicana)
The terminals that are receiving the most cruise ships are Amber Cove and Taino Bay in Puerto Plata, as well as La Romana, Samana, and Santo Domingo.