Speaking at DATE, National Hotel & Tourism Association (Asonahores) president Simon Suarez said that he was especially pleased with Puerto Plata on the north coast, where he said 3,841 hotel rooms have been renovated from 2015-2016. ?Puerto Plata is again a major player in Dominican tourism,? he highlighted.
Hotel spokespeople from Puerto Plata say that the 2015-2016 winter season has been the best in the past seven years, with hotel occupancy rates of 90%.
Maximo Iglesias, speaking for the private sector in Puerto Plata, announced that air travel was up 11.6% in 2015. He was optimistic that the success of the Amber Cove Port in Puerto Plata would soon result in arrival of flights with tourists for departure on the cruise ships, making Puerto Plata a popular homeport.
He highlighted that the new developments are the result of the ongoing cooperation between the private and public sectors. He highlighted new air connections, including to Poland and Russia, and to the US cities of Boston and Charlotte.
Speaking for the Ministry of Tourism, Lorenzo Sancassani highlighted the positive effects of maritime tourism. He said that since the opening of the Amber Cove Port Center on 6 October 2015 in Maimon, Puerto Plata, through April 2016, 56 cruise ships with 224,683 passengers had arrived.
He announced that the amphitheater next to the Fortaleza San Felipe would be ready for inauguration in May 2016. He said that this year, a new arts and crafts center would be opening in Imbert, where a wide variety of crafts made from rock and petrified wood would be sold, close to where they are made.
He announced the reorganization of the Luperon port area, to improve the natural harbor for the hundreds of sailboats that use it every year.
He confirmed that Royal Caribbean has been exploring the possibility of installing a port for ships at the Port of Puerto Plata. He expressed optimism that within two years, the country would be considered a homeport for cruise ships.
Sancassani highlighted that long months of visiting neighborhoods, schools, and universities to raise awareness of the importance of doing well with the cruise ship passengers were behind the success of the cruise ship programs. He said that if the tourists were pleased with their visit, 30% were likely to return with more time.
