Sectur Offers Cruise Line a 7 Million Peso Incentive

by Maureen Dietrich on 12 Dec 13
mazmessenger.com

The Secretary of Tourism and Mazatlán Mayor were on hand to greet passengers of the Statendam cruise ship yesterday.

The Sinaloa Secretary of Tourism (Sectur) has made an offer to Carnival Cruise Lines that it will be unable to resist, or at least that is the expectation of tourism secretary Francisco Córdova Celaya who, acting on behalf of the Sinaloa government, has offered the company seven million pesos to include Mazatlán in its Pacific routes.

Córdova Celaya told reporters yesterday that the cruise line had been in negotiations with the Port Authority to agree on a subsidy to attract the company, but as they could not come to an agreement Sectur has offered their assistance.

It appears, continued the Secretary, that the cruise line representatives were pleased with the offer and were to discuss it this week at a board meeting in order to reply to the offer immediately.

The agreement would bring 100 more Carnival and Princess cruise ship visits to Mazatlán between 2014 and 2015, he pointed out, adding the reason Carnival requested a subsidy is because of the increase in fuel prices.

It is more economical for the companies to offer short trips to the Caribbean for $399 dollars, then the 600 kilometer Pacific route of Los Angeles-Los Cabos-Vallarta, he said.

In the Secretary’s opinion, the seven million peso investment is not onerous as it will be included in publicity expenses and in exchange, will generate an important economic income as each passenger spends $80 to $100 dollars a day in port.

(from Noroeste)