Alan Lam reporting
Cartagena de Indias, Colombia’s number one cruise port, is expecting half a million cruise tourists during the current 2015-16 season, which started on 7 September, according to its regional port authority, Sociedad Portuaria Regional.
The port is expecting 529,556 cruise visitors, about 25,000 more than the previous season, with 212 calls by 36 cruise lines, making the industry as the biggest net contributor of tourists to the city.
The German-speaking brand TUI Cruises has included Cartagena in its itineraries for the first time, with 10 calls during the season and each of which will bring in about 2,500 passengers.
Despite this increase, Alfonso Salas, the General Manager of Sociedad Portuaria Regional, told the press that Cartagena aimed to achieve one million cruise tourists within two years.
Sandra Howard, Colombia’s incumbent Deputy Minister of Tourism underscored this goal set by the port authority. She stressed that Cartagena had everything in terms of attractions to compete with other destinations, but it needed to improve its infrastructure. She added that “important investments in respect to the competitiveness of the destination” were being made.
While reaching the one-million milestone in two years might appear to be a tall order under normal circumstances, we believe Cartagena will benefit enormously with the opening up of Cuba, as more ships are deployed to the region.
Cartagena’s attraction is beyond doubt; it is the most iconic city of South America’s Caribbean coast. Even during Colombia’s violent years the flow of tourists did not stop; they came from far and wide, by land, sea and air to admire this colonial walled city and fortress, which were listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.
