By
Rebecca Gibson |
Carnival Corporation & plc has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to develop a US$70 cruise port facility in Tortuga, an island off the north coast of Haiti.
Representing the largest cruise industry investment ever made in Haiti, the MoU is part of Carnival Corporation’s larger investment in the Caribbean as a whole.
“The Caribbean is a crucial market for the success of Carnival Corporation and the cruise industry in general, and we remain committed to creating new and exciting products in the region,” said David Candib, Carnival Corporation’s vice president of development and operations, global port and destination development group, in a statement released by the company. “The Caribbean is not only the most popular region for cruise vacations, but it is also where Carnival Corporation’s roots are, and where the company’s nine brands deploy a large number of ships and set sail with millions of guests every year.”
Carnival Corporation’s initial estimates indicate that the new facility will have a significant economic impact on the local economy and provide direct and indirect employment for more than 900 locals. The company will also work with the Haitian government to build Tortuga into a popular and economically sustainable Caribbean destination.
A new port in Tortuga will also help Carnival Corporation to develop more diverse itineraries in the region by complimenting popular destinations in the area, including the other Carnival-owned ports of Mahogany Bay, Half Moon Cay, Grand Turk and Puerta Maya. It will also complement Amber Cove, another new Carnival Corporation port scheduled to open in 2015 in Puerta Plata, which was founded by Christopher Columbus on the north coast of the Dominican Republic.
“The development will create an exciting opportunity for our guests to enjoy a new, secluded and stunning destination in the island of Tortuga that the company expects will become a highly popular place for guests to enjoy for years to come,” said Candib. “It also represents a major commitment to the people of Haiti by Carnival Corporation – the largest cruise company in the world, with nine industry-leading brands and dozens of ships operating in the Caribbean, the world’s most popular region for cruise vacations.”