Port autonome de Dakar : une reine est dans la capitale
A welcoming committee worthy of the guest. Dakar buzzed this Wednesday, April 22nd, to celebrate the arrival of the Queen Mary 2. This 345-meter-long behemoth dropped anchor at the autonomous port of the Senegalese capital for the second time since 2004. The 2,695 passengers on board were welcomed by the orchestra of the granddaughters and sons of the late Doudou Ndiaye Coumba Rose, as well as a cultural troupe from Casamance, accompanied by its protective spirit, the "Koumpo".
Welcoming this giant of the seas required rigorous technical precision. As explained by the VTS (Maritime Traffic Management) service, a team of highly skilled pilots was mobilized to assist the vessel during the most critical navigational approaches. "Welcoming a 345-meter vessel is exceptional; it was necessary to verify the depth of the quays, the access channel, and the turning basin before the final berthing at Pier 1," the port's technical services stated.
Upon disembarking, the tourists enjoying a few dance steps or admiring the rich Senegalese culture. They were able to take home souvenirs from the art vendors set up in a specially designated area. Given the historical significance of the event, the Senegalese government was represented by Amadou Ba, Minister of Culture, Crafts and Tourism, and Dr. Adama Ndiaye, Director General of ASPT, alongside Waly Diouf Bodiang, Director General of the Port Authority, and Professor Ngouda Mboup, Chairman of the Board.
Having departed from Cape Town, South Africa, the Queen Mary 2 made one of its rare stops on the continent in Dakar before continuing on to Spain. Minister Amadou Ba sees this as a strong indicator of Senegal's attractiveness as a destination: "With this one-day stopover, more than 1,000 people took excursions in Dakar. This compels us to rethink our strategy and make cruise tourism one of our pillars."
The port's managing director, Waly Diouf Bodiang, has grand ambitions. According to him, the port is regaining its former prominence: "If a cruise ship of this size only calls at Senegal in West Africa, it proves that we are once again becoming a major hub." He also mentioned a large-scale transformation project aimed at creating a modern marina on the port's current site after its partial relocation to Ndayane. "We want a marina that rivals the best in the world, like Dubai, to reposition Dakar as a global tourism hub," he stated.
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