July 26, 2021, 10:45 am
PROGRESO, Yucatán.- Passengers on the Carnival Breeze cruise ship invaded the beaches of the traditional Progreso boardwalk, occupied lounge chairs, umbrellas, and palapas, after disembarking to visit and learn about the city’s attractions.
After 17 months of absence of cruise ships, this Monday the 26th the Carnival Breeze cruise ship arrived at the Port of Height of Progreso, from Galveston, Texas bound for the Island of Cozumel.
It is the first ship to dock since the pandemic; 26 more ships are expected
After 17 months with no cruise ship arrivals at the Progreso terminal, the Carnival Breeze arrived this Monday morning, from Texas, with a capacity of 3,000 passengers. “We have waited for this day for a long time,” said Michelle Fridman Hirsch, head of the Ministry of Tourism Development (Sefotur).
In the high-altitude port, the Secretary of Tourism stressed that in the first two months of 2020, just before the arrival of the Covid-19 pandemic, the arrival of cruise ships at the port of Progreso had grown more than 50 percent compared to 2019. , which had been the best year in the tourist indicators of the state.
“It is said easy, but it was not fortuitous.” This was possible, he said, thanks to the efforts of Governor Mauricio Vila Dosal, who through different agencies and in coordination with the Progreso mayor’s office proposed to turn the port into a worthy gateway to the state.
He explained that during 2019 they worked with the three levels of government and private initiative in infrastructure, urban image, services, product, training, and promotion as had not been done in a long time. “We transform Progreso,” said the official.
This, Fridman said, led to the arrival of new investment, more tourism, and more shipping companies. Similarly, he stressed that Progreso is an example that tourism generates an industry that, when practiced in a sustainable way, generates development and social well-being.
During the period of the pandemic, he noted, in Yucatan “they did not sit idly by,” but the private sector and the government worked hand in hand to develop a recovery plan for tourism in the state.
“A plan that has allowed us to transform in moments of great complexity, but also to rebuild ourselves with a better and more competitive destination,” he added.
Fridman Hirsch announced that the state government, through Sefotur, will continue working until the air, sea, and land connectivity that existed prior to Covid-19 is fully restored, “because a connected destination is a destination open to development.”.
As planned, the cruise ship from Galveston, Texas, USA, docked at the cruise dock of the remote terminal on Monday morning.
Before his arrival, the traditional boardwalk was closed to vehicular traffic, the beaches were also closed and municipal police officers removed the people who were early on the beach.
Progreso Beach Vendors fight over cruise ship clients
Source: yucatan.com.mx, .poresto.net