Progreso is now the sixth most important tourist vessel reception port in the country
Progreso, Yucatan, (December 07, 2021).- Yucatán is open to the arrival of more national and international visitors and that was evident after the realization of the Tianguis Turístico de Mérida, highlighted Raúl Paz Noriega, technical secretary of the Tourism Development Secretariat.
Among the segments to be promoted is that of cruise ships, where the port of Progreso has grown in recent years. In 2019 it closed with 146 arrivals and more than 460 thousand passengers, which makes it the sixth most important cruise reception port in the country.
“After the pandemic, we are resuming and we already have more than 100 ships scheduled for 2022 and we hope that before the end of 2023 we will return to the levels we had before the pandemic and receive new shipping companies,” the official explained. “Tourism is an activity of the first order, in the case of Yucatan it contributes 14.5 percent of the state’s Gross Domestic Product, it is an activity that complements the economy.”
Historically, the official said, Progreso has great importance for Yucatan, it was founded as a cargo and trade port, and over the years it has grown.
The work of the high-altitude port achieved a relaunch since the ’90s and since 1998 Progreso receives uninterrupted cruise ships.
Visitors who arrive to Yucatán via cruise have many options for tours: “the boats arrive at 7 or 8 in the morning and leave between 3 and 6 in the afternoon. Passengers can stay in the port visiting the attractions that Progreso has or go to nearby archaeological sites such as Corchito or Mérida. What cruise passengers request the most is nature and archeology ”.
The cenotes are also in great demand, Chichén Itzá, Dzibilchaltún, Uxmal, among others, and state tourism has included magical towns and handicrafts in the tours, he added. Most destinations are one to two hours’ drive from Progreso, and tours last four to five hours.
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