The XI Annual Tourism Development Encounter in Samaná gathered in Puerto Bahía specialists in cruises, destination management, and representatives of the port industry to analyze how to transform the growth of this segment into opportunities for the economy, tourism activity, and passenger experience.
Samaná. A few weeks before the opening of a new cruise terminal in Arroyo Barril, the tourism sector dedicated the XI Annual Tourism Development Encounter in Samaná to analyzing how to make the arrival of more ships translate into employment, businesses, and new opportunities for the province.
Held in Puerto Bahía, the event brought together specialists and industry representatives who addressed the challenges posed by this evolution and the necessary conditions for the generated value to extend beyond the ports and reach different actors in the tourism chain.
Organized by the Samaná Tourism Cluster (CTS) and the Samaná Hotels and Tourism Businesses Association (AHETSA), with the support of the Ministry of Tourism (MITUR), the encounter took place under the slogan “Samaná, Navigating Towards a New Era”.
During the opening, Javier Lara Reinhold, president of CTS, stated that the entry into operation of Samaná Bayport and the upcoming opening of Port Samaná place the province at a stage of significant possibilities, but also pose the challenge of achieving concrete effects beyond the terminals.
Lara emphasized that the passenger experience is built in the streets, beaches, gastronomy, excursions, culture, and especially in contact with people. From that perspective, he noted that the objective should be to transform a few-hour stop into a more lasting relationship and make each arrival generate greater participation of restaurants, guides, transporters, shops, artisans, and entrepreneurs.
“The ports are the entrance door. Samaná is the experience”, expressed Lara, who also called for accompanying growth with quality, order, security, training, and environmental protection, preserving the attributes that distinguish and make Samaná special.
Abelardo Melgen Acra, president of AHETSA, focused his intervention on the need for the increase in arrivals to translate into tangible results for the economy and a better preparation of all services related to the activity.
“Samaná is facing an extraordinary opportunity. Its success should not be measured solely by the number of ships that arrive, but by how many of those visitors find reasons to return and stay longer”, he noted.
Three Perspectives on the Destination’s Impulse
The presentations addressed this new stage from three complementary perspectives: the collaboration between local actors, the possibility of converting a first visit into a reason to return, and the opportunities associated with port infrastructure.
Birgitt Heinsen, Corporate Social Responsibility Director of Ocean World Adventure Park & Marina and president of the Samaná Tourism Cluster, presented “When Collaboration Becomes a Strategy: The Experience of Puerto Plata”. Her presentation addressed the coordination between the public, private, and community sectors as a way to strengthen the offer and jointly exploit the opportunities opened up by tourism activity.
Next, Fernanda Tovar Galindo, Revenue Management Director of ITM Group, presented “Port Samaná: Where the New Story of Arroyo Barril Begins”.
Tovar exposed the main aspects of the project, whose opening is scheduled for November 24, 2026, and which will have the capacity to receive simultaneously two Oasis-class cruises. The projections contemplate 10,000 passengers in 2026, 220,000 in 2027, and 450,000 in 2028, as well as an estimated US$100 to US$120 of economic spill per cruiser, along with the generation of 1,000 direct jobs and 2,500 indirect jobs.
Subsequently, from Puerto Vallarta, Mexico, Juan Manuel Santana, Destination Management Expert and CEO of Maixal, Culinary Culture in Motion, participated through the audiovisual presentation “From the Dock to the Plane: How to Convert a First Visit into a Reason to Return”.
His proposal suggested stopping seeing the cruiser as a mere passenger of a few hours and starting to consider them as potential guests. As a reference, he presented the experience of Puerto Vallarta, where hotels, guides, taxi drivers, and other participants work under a common approach aimed at encouraging new visits.
Inspired by that model, Santana proposed a pilot called Back to Samaná, designed to make the terminal, excursions, restaurants, transportation, and hotels operate under a single line of work that motivates the traveler to return and stay longer. The initiative contemplates measuring consultations, reservations, stays, and expenses associated with those new visits.
The presentations coincided in that the potential of cruises does not depend solely on the volume of ships or passengers. The challenge lies in transforming that movement into economic activity, prolonging the relationship with those who know the destination during a stop.
In that context, it was also highlighted the need to strengthen the preparation of those who form part of the tourist experience, especially in training, service quality, order, security, and respect for the cruiser.
Before concluding, Melgen Acra stated that these reflections should be translated into concrete actions. In that sense, he announced that he would promote a working table together with the Cluster, authorities, and productive sectors, aimed at identifying applicable initiatives, evaluating their results, and giving continuity to those that demonstrate greater effectiveness.
As a synthesis of that vision, he expressed: “Samaná can enchant you in a few hours… but to live it, you have to return”.
The XI Annual Encounter counted on the support of the Ministry of Tourism, Banco Popular Dominicano, Port Samaná, Avolta (formerly Dufry), Bonita Group, AERODOM, Rincón Bay, Montval Engineering, Samaná Real Estate, La Fábrica Samaná Café & Cacao, Open University for Adults (UAPA), Banreservas, Marina Puerto Bahía, Piñero, Wyndham Alltra Samaná, Xeliter, Hacienda Samaná Bay, Compañía de Luz y Fuerza de Las Terrenas, Bigentik Group, Indusnig, Catrain & Vega Lawyers, and Hospitality Management Solutions.
With the opening of Port Samaná, attention is now focused on how to take advantage of this new capacity to strengthen the tourist offer, extend the relationship with those who arrive by cruise, and generate a broader impact on the Samaná economy. The real challenge will be to convert each stop into a reason to return, stay longer, and discover with greater depth all that Samaná has to offer.
Principal Juan Bancalari, Birgitt Heinsen, Javier Lara, Fernanda Tovar Galindo, and Abelardo Melgen
DSC05990 Priscila Concha and Carlos Montas
DSC06153 Gustavo Piantini, Rocío Montás, and Huáscar Jiménez
DSC06165 Mónica Lorenzo and David Llibre
DSC06168 Cyril Girot and Carlos Rodoli
DSC06173 Francisco Schad and Federico Schad
DSC06182 Pedro Catrain and Nelson Núñez
DSC06207 Jesús Durán, Aguie Lendor, and Matías Colombo
DSC06229 Sebastián Mexia, Jessica Rovira, Juanli Teran, and Eduardo Ceron
DSC06237 Manuel Bancalari and Ana Bancalari
DSC06254 Mercedes Alonso and Tony Jorge
DSC06264 Laura Guerrero, Delvair Amarilla, Layla de la Cruz, Indhira Castillo
DSC06229 Sebastián Mexia, Jessica Rovira, Juanli Teran, and Eduardo Cerón
Disclosure: This is a press release provided by Henry Coradin through the email “[email protected]”. Its content is the exclusive responsibility of the source.
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