Treat Cruise Passengers “well, and fairly” says Tourism Secretary

by Maureen Dietrich on 4 Oct 13 
mazmessenger.com 

Secretary of Tourism Francisco Córdova Celaya announced at least four cruise lines have shown interest in returning to Mazatlán.

At a press conference yesterday and fresh from a meeting with cruise line representatives in Columbia, Sinaloa Secretary of Tourism Francisco Córdova Celaya announced at least four cruise lines have shown interest in returning to Mazatlán and two of those, Carnival and Princess Cruises, were presently in Mazatlán on an inspection visit.

As well, Royal Caribbean and MSC line announced they will return soon, although no dates were given.
The cruise line that could return any minute, he said, is Carnival because their ships are now in the Pacific and Mazatlán continues to be an attractive product for them.

A press release issued by the Sinaloa Secretary of Tourism yesterday states that the cruise line executives told the Sinaloa delegation at the meeting in Columbia that Mazatlán tour operators practice illegal competition in selling tourism packages in the port and do not treat tourists well.

The release quotes Córdova Celaya as saying tourists do not enjoy the port because they are held hostage by street and beach vendors and we need to regularize this (problem) ourselves.

The three levels of government have done what they needed to do, but it has come to the point that we are given this second opportunity to give good service and the rest lies in the hands of the Mazatlecans, the tour operators, transport drivers, street vendors, time share salesmen and other sectors that if they do not take care of cruise ship passengers, they will not return.

In Mazatlán, we have to treat them well, put on our best face, be fair with the passengers, the Secretary is quoted as saying.

At the press conference he reiterated that theme, telling reporters the recovery of cruise ships will be on the condition of a change of attitude of tourist providers and will have to be demonstrated with the next arrivals, beginning November 12 with the 1,350 passengers of the Veendam cruise ship of the Holland America line.

In preparation for the arrival, said Córdova Celaya, they are moving ahead with fixing up the Zona Dorada and they will meet with all tourism providers to ask them to treat cruise ship passengers well, to ask fair prices and present a dignified image.

At the moment, cruise ship arrivals that have been confirmed are four at the end of this year, 22 in 2014 and 11 more in 2015.

(from Sectur Press Release and Noroeste)