European Cruise Tourism Resumes in Venezuela After 15 Years

On Tuesday, Leudo Gonzalez, the president of the Superior Council of Tourism (Conseturismo), celebrated the arrival of the Amadea to the Margarita Island in Venezuela.

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Carrying 498 international tourists, this first-class ship is the first cruise ship to arrive from Europe to the South American country in the last 15 years.

"With this arrival, we hope that other cruise lines' itineraries will take Margarita Island into account as an important destination in the Caribbean," Gonzalez said, adding that European tourists will "know what Venezuela offers from the point of view of tourism".

"This brings benefits to everyone who is directly or indirectly involved in tourism, which is an activity that permeates various economic sectors. This is very positive and good," commented Viviana de Vethencourt, the president of the Nueva Esparta Tourism Chamber.

The Amadea, which is a German ship sailing with Bahamian flag, arrived at the El Guamache International Port, with tourists from countries such as Spain, Germany and France.

The revival of tourism on Margarita Island occurs at a time when the Venezuelan economy grew 17.73 percent in the first three quarters of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, with positive growth in most economic activities.

Among the sectors with the highest growth over the period were transportation and storage (54.4 percent), manufacturing (39.6 percent) and commerce (25.3 percent).