Cruise terminal essential for commercial survival of Puerto Plata

posted on: Mar 4 2010 8:54 by Royston. Viewed 451 times.


Chairman of the Committee for Construction of Puerto Plata, businessman Armando Rodriguez Pelegrin, said that more work can be done to help boost the economy and the development of Puerto Plata by building a cruise and cargo terminal in the local port.

Pelegrin said that Puerto Plata is going through an extremely difficult time with rising unemployment because of a falling tourist flow and the closure of a large number of companies.

"Everything has gone from Puerto Plata. We lost the mills at Montellano and Amistad," he lamented.
"Northern Mills, the chocolate Industry, the matches factory, pasta manufacturing, shipping companies, fruit exporters and many of the companies in the industrial zone have closed their doors," he continued.

Similarly, almost all hotels in Costambar, including the Bayside Hill and hotels in the city of Puerto Plata, such as the Puerto Plata Beach Resort, Montemar, El Caracol, the Marapica, Beach Club.  Playa Dorada and Cofresi had also seen hotels close with the fall in tourist numbers.

He explained that following the fall of more than fifty percent of tourist traffic to the region, many other business such as restaurants, nightclubs, bars and gift shops had also closed which took out many thousands of jobs from the economy.

Reports have indicated that the high season in winter has not seen much improvement with only a few tourists visible in the city center.

He acknowledged that although the authorities have made significant efforts to combat homelessness, renovated the San Felipe Cathedral and Independence Square; there are still many things to do, because, "you do not do have anything with a beautiful park, if the surroundings are a disaster."

The chairman of the Committee for Construction of a Cruise Terminal and the Port  urged everyone involved in commerce in the city  to join the struggle for building a cruise and cargo terminal. "Let everyone  speak out, do whatever you need to make a campaign through the media, but please, let's unite to get them to build the cruise terminal in the local port.�

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Local Businessman presses for new cruise terminal at Maimon: Mar 2 2010