THE island country of Palau is redeveloping its main port in an effort to attract more cruise calls, the destination’s tourism head has revealed.
The port on Malakal Island, the site of much of urban Palau’s tourism activity, is set to begin renovations next year.
Palau Visitors Authority Managing Director Kadoi Ruluked told CW the renovations will address the small- to medium-sized cruise sector, as well as private yachts, attending to the destination’s long-term infrastructure problem.
Malakal Island is linked to Koror, Palau’s largest city, by a causeway, which would allow passengers easy access to the destination’s range of tourism offerings, including diving and snorkelling, boat tours, and hiking.
“There’s long-term planning for [the cruise sector]; it’s going to be a really big port that’s going to address the commercial and private yachts, and the cruise lines,” Ruluked said.
“We’ve been advertising Palau as another cruise destination, it’s just that…we do not have really good infrastructure for the cruise ships,” he added.
Palau receives very few calls per year, mostly from Hapag-Lloyd Cruises, with ships anchoring off the island of Ngerdis.
Hanseatic Inspiration and Hanseatic Spirit are the only two cruise ships scheduled to call Palau this year. MS
