Cruise Tourism Continues to Grow In La Paz and Loreto

• Approximately 32,900 tourists arrived to the ports of Loreto and Pichilingue in 2016-2017

TBC

With the arrival of Crystal Serenity to the Pueblo Magico of Loreto last week, the 2016-2017 cruise season has come to an end. According to the Director of the Integral Port Administration (API), José López Soto, approximately 32,900 tourists arrived to either Loreto or the Port of Pichilingue from a total of 18 cruise ships.

The Port of Pichilingue in La Paz received 11 cruisers with a total of 16,600 passengers and crew while seven cruise ships arrived to Loreto with more than 15,000 passengers. According to Lopez Soto, “These are historical numbers for the area and show that the policies and programs implemented by the Secretary of Tourism in BCS are adequate and working.”

The director of API also mentioned that generally a cruiser is accompanied by two to three people when they go on their land tours, and spend on average $70 US a day per person, money that translates into greater economic growth and social development for all the inhabitants of the entity.

There is no doubt in La Paz that cruisers have left a considerable economic benefit to the downtown área.

“Tourism is the engine of the economy of Southern Baja. This allows us to create more formal jobs, generate more social programs and of course offer better development opportunities to our families. Therefore we will double our efforts to promote and consolidate Baja California Sur as the best tourist destination in Mexico,” Lopez Soto added.

Officials mentioned that great effort and coordination is involved to receive cruises. Several governmental departments, including ZOFEMAT, Civil Protection and Traffic Police, Municipal Culture and Municipal Tourism are all areas of the city working together with the cruise lines and local business people to provide excellent care and service to visitors.

With cruise vacations and cruise lines having a positive economic impact not only within the tourism sector but in other sectors of the economy as well, tourism officials will continue to promote La Paz and Loreto to the cruise line industry as the economical benefits enjoyed by businesses, services and restaurants in the state is too great to let it pass by.