Cruise tourism in the Dominican Republic closed February with 63.3% growth. According to the projections, each month should be better than the one before.
According to Orfila Salazar, Cruise Director of the Tourism Ministry (MITUR), the latest data on cruise tourism are positive.
"Comparing the figures for January 2016 with the figures for last year, we closed 53% higher, while this February we have also seen an increase, closing with a 63.3% growth in cruise tourism in the Dominican Republic," Salazar said.
As reported by El Nuevo Diario, the official said that "this segment (cruise tourism) has increased by 100%. The sector closed last year (2015) with 574,000 passengers, excluding crew, which is over 650,000 in total."
She explained that cruise tourism in the Dominican Republic rallied after 2010 when the country hosted the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Ship Association, comprising the 15 largest cruise lines, which allowed MITUR to meet with the presidents and CEOs of each of these cruise companies.
The official made these statements during an interview at the Ministry of Tourism stand at Seatrade Cruise Global 2016 which was organized in conjunction with Cruise Lines International Association (CLIA) and the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association (FCCA) and which was held at the Fort Lauderdale Convention Center.