Progreso, Yucatán — More cruise ship income is Yucatán’s top tourism priority in 2018, a state official has declared.
For now, three cruises arrive in Progreso each week, underperforming the port’s capacity to welcome 21 ships every seven days.
A plan to help Progreso reach its potential will require an initial investment of 100 million pesos, which would be obtained through federal, state and municipal coffers, said state tourism secretary Saúl Ancona Salazar. Details of the plan were not disclosed.
In an interview with Notimex, the national news service, Ancona Salazar explained that October’s XXIV annual meeting of the Florida-Caribbean Cruise Association in Mérida opened doors for Yucatán. The current state administration, which has entered its final year, determined at the event that cruises will lead the local tourist agenda.
“There were more than 1,200 executives and managers of 19 different shipping companies operating the main cruise routes between Florida and the Caribbean, as well as tourism officials from the main destinations,” he said.
Although tourists who arrive via cruise ship do not usually spend as much on food and beverages, they are eager to pay for new experiences, learn about Mayan culture and purchase local artisanal products.
Yucatán is the site of one of the most important Mesoamerican civilizations in history. In addition, the state has a prime geographical position, with deep-water port that is between the United States and major Caribbean destinations such as Cuba, Puerto Rico, Jamaica and Bermuda.
Source: Notimex
