Alan Lam reporting

Soon after its decisions to made the Colombian port of Cartagena de Indias its principle regional homeport and to increase its Caribbean capacity by 40%, Pullmantur Cruises, the contemporary Spanish brand of RCCL, has confirmed that, it will also operate year-round from the Panamanian port of Colón.

This move will further consolidate the lines presence in the region. It will, as it is claimed, increase the number of passengers embarking from this port by 30%.

The announcement was made in a press briefing, held yesterday morning (4 September) in Panamá City, by Alejandro Páez, Pullmantur’s Latin American director, in the company of Gustavo Him, the director of Panamá’s Tourism Authority.

This is the latest of a successive strategic moves made by the cruise line.

Corresponding to this decision, Gustavo Him, for his part, also announced that there would be a $600 million investment by the national government into renovating the city of Colón, making it more attractive to tourism in general.

On Pullmantur ships the port attracts cruise tourists mainly from México, Peru, Brazil, Ecuador, Argentina, Colombia, and Venezuela. The investment will also focus on improving overnight accommodations, leisure facilities, and shopping.

The total economic impact for Colón from the 56 operations by the two Pullmantur ships, Zenith and Monarch, is estimated at about $18 million for 2017.