Port of Spain deputy mayor looks to 7,500 cruise-ship tourists

ABENA HARTLEY, deputy mayor of Port of Spain, is expecting 7,500 cruise ship tourists to visit the capital city over a month, from mid-November to mid-December, she said on Wednesday. She was chairing a statutory meeting of the city council at City Hall.

Hartley said the council had participated in Caribbean Tourism Month – November – with a month of activities, in league with the Ministry of Tourism, Culture and the Arts.

"We launched the Promenade Experience on November 14, on the western side of the promenade, where we will continue to accept, receive and entertain the tourists who are docking at our shores here in Port of Spain.

"Thus far we've received quite a few ships, with many, many tourists – 2,500."

The council would continue its tourism thrust as more and more ships arrive, she said.

"We have one (ship), about 5,000 (passengers), coming in on December 12, and thereafter."

Hartley encouraged Port of Spain residents to continue to support the council's clean-up campaign, which she said would continue until December 16 and will move this weekend into East Dry River and St Ann's South.

"We are very grateful to see that our residents are co-operating and are very, very welcoming of this exercise."

Hartley praised the council's administrators and staff, who have been turning up at 7 am on Saturday's to assist in the campaign.

She said the council has a jam-packed festive itinerary, including Christmas in the Square, which included an "extravaganza market" at Woodford Square.

Hartley promised better infrastructure in the city, through a continuation of work on drains, footpaths and roads, from November to December.

"So look out for the road-patching and pothole-filling as we continue to uplift and bring our roadways and infrastructure up to standard for the use of our burgesses."