The aggressive campaign to lure foreigners to visit the country is gaining ground after two international cruise ships loaded with around 4,000 tourists docked on Monday, Feb. 26, at the Manila South Harbor, the Philippine Ports Authority (PPA) said.
PPA General Manager Jay Daniel Santiago assured that they have prepared well to attend to the foreign visitors in order to ensure smooth travel and accommodations while in the country.
The PPA Port Police were stationed to ensure the safety and security of passengers at the pier. Additionally, 50 buses were available at the pier for tourists planning to explore Manila and Tagaytay,” said Santiago.
“The traffic flow plan prepared by the PMO was implemented with separate lanes for bus tour passengers and those opting for a Do-It-Yourself Tour,” he added.
Based on the PPA report, MV Westerdam of Holland America has 1,970 passengers and docked at the Pier 15 of the Manila South Harbor from Taiwan. This was its second visit to the country this year.
MV Norwegian Jewel, on the other hand, was loaded with 2,376 passengers and docked at Pier 15 from Puerto Princesa City in Palawan.
Santiago said the two ships will remain at Manila South Harbor for the entire day before Norwegian Jewel sails towards the Port of Currimao, and Westerdam sets course for Boracay.
In 2023, a total of164 cruise ships with over 80,000 passengers from various shipping companies such as Norwegian Cruise Lines, Holland America Line, Silverseas, Windstar Cruises, and AIDA visited the Philippines, recognized as the 'Best Cruise Destination in Asia' by the World Cruise Award.
This year 2024, more or less 132 cruise ships are expected to visit the ports of the Philippine islands with more or less 100,000 passengers on board.