President Luis Abinader announced last week that the Cabo Rojo cruise ship port in the new destination of Pedernales will receive its first cruise ship on 18 December 2023. Royal Caribbean has scheduled a 3,000-cruise passenger ship to be the first to dock at the port that is developed by the Mexican company ITM Group. ITM is responsible for the Taino Bay port in Puerto Plata.
President Abinader announced the port will be the first to operate under the zero-plastics modality in the country, after the developers reached an agreement with the Ministry of Environment.
Abinader expects the cruise ship to boost tourism and generate jobs and income for the residents in communities in the southwest.
The President spoke of the efforts to provide best experiences for the tourists and a social and economic impact on Pedernales and the entire southwestern Enriquillo region.
The Pedernales tourism development plan calls for the readjustment of public spaces for recreation, culture sharing and gastronomic enjoyment of the cruise visitors. Popular attractions such as the Oviedo Lagoon, Hoyo de Pelempito, Bahia de las Aguilas beach and Pozos de Romeo are being improved for mass tourism. The improvements call for adding boardwalks, small squares of artisans and art murals to these areas.
Abinader highlights that land and sea tourism will become the engine of economic development in the southern region, specifically the Enriquillo region and the Del Valle region, given the new farm produce demand will impact San Juan and Elías Piña provinces.
Tourism Minister David Collado said that the Ministry of Tourism will work jointly with private business to promote the area.
Meanwhile, Rafael Santos Badía, director of Infotep, added that 7,000 people are receiving training in health services, customer service, and as waiters, bakers, electricians, among other skills. A new Infotep training center will open in Oviedo.
The director of Public-Private Partnerships (DGAPP), Sigmund Freund reported on the water, electricity and road works, the recovery of the waterfront, solid waste management and the construction of the first hotels, in which US$400 million have been invested so far. He explained that the water treatment plant, the aqueduct, the infrastructure for electric energy, and the access roads and highways are scheduled to be completed before the arrival of the first cruise ship.
Regarding the international airport of Pedernales, Freund said that aeronautical feasibility studies are being conducted and progress is being made in the clearing of the runway. The geo-referenced altimetric survey was concluded and the bidding process is underway for the contracting of the designs and construction of the airport infrastructure and services.
The construction of a definitive sanitary landfill was detailed at the meeting.
The President toured the area where the 580-room Iberostar hotel is being built, together with a Secrets and Dreams hotels of the Hyatt chain, for 1,591 rooms to mark the start the hotel development in the area. The hotel rooms are scheduled to be ready by the middle of 2024 and the authorities expect an active winter season by December 2024.
Also present for the meetings to check on the tourism development of Pedernales were the ministers of the Presidency, Joel Santos; Administrative of the Presidency, José Ignacio Paliza; of the Environment, Miguel Ceara Hatton; of Public Works, Deligne Ascensión; of Housing, Carlos Bonilla and of Culture, Milagros Germán.
Also present for the meeting were the directors of Apordom, Jean Luis Rodríguez; of INDRHI, Olmedo Caba; of Border Development, Ramón Pérez; of the Airport Department, Víctor Pichardo; of INAPA, Wellington Arnaud; of Promipyme, Porfirio Peralta, among others.
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Hoy
12 September 2023