Baleària presents its new route between the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico

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• The shipping company will invest more than 100 million dollars in the start-up of this new route, to launch in November
  
• More than 200 people attended the event, led by the president of Baleària, Adolfo Utor, which was also attended by authorities from both Caribbean countries

At the International Tourism Fair (Fitur), the shipping company Baleària presented its new route that will link the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico at the end of the year. The company's stand brought together more than 200 people, in an event led by the president of Baleària, Adolfo Utor, which was also attended by the governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro R. Pierluisi; the mayor of the Puerto Rican city of Mayagüez, Jorge Ramos; the chairman of the Dominican Republic Port Authority's board of directors, Alejandro Campos; and the executive director of the Puerto Rico Tourism Company, Carlos Mercado Santiago, as well as other dignitaries.

It is expected that, starting in November, Baleària will connect the Dominican port of San Pedro de Macorís with the Puerto Rican port of Mayagüez, on a daily ferry crossing of 133 miles. For Utor, «This new regular service will be part of the communication infrastructure and a key driver for the progress, socioeconomic development and connectivity of the two regions». He went on to highlight Baleària's experience of more than a decade on the routes it operates between the United States and the Bahamas. «We have a keen interest in continuing to expand our business model in the Caribbean area, an emerging market with a great deal of potential». Baleària plans to invest 100 million dollars in the start-up of this new maritime link, which will benefit from the company's strategic innovation and sustainability, offering combined transport for passengers, vehicles and goods, with daily and reliable connections.

As part of this public-private project, Baleària will build a multifunctional passenger terminal in the port of San Pedro de Macorís (Dominican Republic) and will adapt the existing facilities in the port of Mayagüez (Puerto Rico) to bring them up to European quality standards. Both terminals will have a gangway and finger jetty as well as a ramp to facilitate the loading and unloading of vehicles.

The governor of Puerto Rico, Pedro R. Pierluisi, thanked Baleària and its president for their efforts to help expand the island's tourism offer, which has reached historic records in the last three years: «Baleària joins multiple other companies that are backing Puerto Rico as a hub of opportunity and economic growth. I am convinced that this new route is just the beginning of more possibilities for Baleària, Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic».

The president of the board of directors of the Dominican Republic Port Authority, Alejandro Campos, emphasised that «The transformation of the historic port of San Pedro de Macorís marks the rebirth of a maritime legacy and, together with the new route, symbolises the vision of progress and development that is the vision of President Luis Abinader». He also pointed out that «it establishes the Dominican Port Authority as a key player in achieving this dream».

The mayor of Mayagüez, Jorge Ramos, highlighted the important implications that the new route will have for the two Caribbean cities: «In economic terms, it will facilitate commercial exchange, increase the flow of tourism and strengthen the connection between our two countries». Finally, he stressed that the project transcends the limits of San Pedro de Macorís «to become a national project that will open the doors for many other industries».

The company will make this six-hour crossing between the two islands of the Antilles with an eco-efficient ship that could become the first natural gas-powered ferry in the Caribbean. Customer care and high quality on-board services will be a priority, and daily connections will enable road freight transport to ensure express deliveries in less than 24 hours, where reliability and punctuality are major competitive advantages. The digitalisation of services and AI will help the company to achieve excellence in transport services.

The Baleària shipping company has been operating in the Caribbean since 2011, where it currently connects the North American port of Fort Lauderdale with the Bahamian islands of Grand Bahama and Bimini. This new service will be Baleària's third route in the Caribbean and its sixth internationally.