As the cruise industry continues on its strong recovery, the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) is meeting in Santo Domingo from 11 to 14 October 2022 for the 28th FCCA Cruise Conference, the only official cruise conference representing the Caribbean, Mexico and Central and South America. The conference is taking place on occasion of the FCCA’s 50th anniversary.
Around 500 participants from 40 countries have registered for the event at the Renaissance Santo Domingo Jaragua Hotel & Casino. Business to business meetings are taking place with cruise lines, panel discussions on the industry, and a marketplace exhibition is ongoing.
The conference is about workshops, networking opportunities and meetings, including one-on-one meetings, with around 100 high-level executives from FCCA member lines that represent more than 90% of global ocean cruising capacity are scheduled. This is also an opportunity for the Dominican Republic to showcase its potential for increased benefits from cruise tourism and help the destination fulfill targeted objectives.
The Dominican Republic has four full cruise terminals – those located in Santo Domingo, La Romana and two in Puerto Plata. Two more on the books – the terminal in Samana on the northeast and another in Cabo Rojo, Pedernales on the southwest coast.
The Dominican Republic last hosted the FCCA Cruise Conference in 2010, and immediately following the event, Carnival Cruise Line announced the development of Amber Cove, the cruise port and destination development in Puerto Plata.
The Dominican Republic has four cruise ship terminals. These are:
La Romana cruise terminal (opened 2003)
Sans Souci, Santo Domingo (opened 2009)
Amber Cove, Puerto Plata (opened 2015)
Taino Bay, Puerto Plata (opened 2021)
FCCA reports that the numbers also tell the difference. The DR has had a 127% annual increase in passenger arrivals between 2009 and 2019, with a respective 477,773 and 1,082,451 passenger arrivals, according to data provided by FCCA member lines.
FCCA says that the passenger arrivals represent clear economic benefits for the destination. In the 2008/2009 cruise year, cruise tourism generated US$23.5 million of expenditures in the Dominican Republic, in addition to 788 jobs paying US$3.1 million, per a Business Research & Economic Advisers study.
The 2018 study found that cruise tourism expenditures accounted for US$134.7 million, along with 4,052 jobs paying US$17.4 million, in the Dominican Republic for the 2017/2018 cruise year – a difference of US$111.2 million in direct expenditures (not including indirect benefits such as supplies purchased by tour operators, restaurants and port authorities) and US$14.3 million in employment wages.
FCCA press release observes that the increases “are staggering.” “The Dominican Republic clearly has the potential and commitment for further growth, with the destination already breaking overall tourism records this year and displaying its resilience and recovery from Covid-19,” it concludes.
Just last year, Taino Bay in Puerto Plata started its operations – which represents more potential capacity and is one of the must-see for the cruise executives attending the FCCA Cruise Conference.
Norwegian Cruise Line and the Dominican Republic government recently signed an agreement for homeport operations in La Romana beginning in 2023.
FCCA explains it is partnering with the Dominican Republic on new and revamped initiatives up to, during and after the event, including the FCCA Employment Program to guide the destination and interested parties through the process of being hired on board, which is in demand and has historically high promotion opportunities. The conference will also provide guidance on the FCCA Purchasing Program, which links the destination and suppliers with cruise lines to enable the sourcing of local goods to be used on board; and a new initiative that aims to increase the already high percentage of cruisers that return to the destination as overnight guests.
FCCA Member Lines are: Aida Cruises, Azamara, Bahamas Paradise Cruise Line, Carnival Cruise Lines, Celebrity Cruises, Costa Cruise Lines, Cunard Line, Disney Cruise Line, Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, Holland America Line, MSC Cruises (USA), Norwegian Cruise Line, Oceania Cruises, P&O Cruises, Princess Cruises, Regent Seven Seas Cruises, Royal Caribbean International , Seabourn, SeaDream Yacht Club, Silversea Cruises, TUI Cruises, Virgin Voyages.
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Ministry of Tourism
11 October 2022