On January 3, local time, as the "Amadeya" cruise ship and about 500 passengers arrived at Margarita Island, Venezuela ushered in the first cruise ship from Europe in 15 years.
The Bahamas-flagged vessel operated by a German company sailed into El Guamache, one of Venezuela's largest international ports, on the morning of the 3rd.
Tourists from Spain, France, Germany, Italy and Switzerland disembarked laughingly to the sound of folk music.
"Venezuela has been off the radar of cruise ships for many years," Venezuelan Tourism Minister Ali Padron said in celebration of the arrival of the cruise ship.
Venezuela's tourism industry has plummeted in nearly a decade amid a political and economic crisis that caused an 80 percent drop in gross domestic product.
Currency controls, hyperinflation, water and electricity shortages and supply issues, and crime have driven tour operators and tourists to flee, and cruise ships are increasingly moving away from Venezuelan ports of call.
Last year, tourism began to show signs of improvement with the arrival of Russian tourists.
(produced by Wang Xiaoting)
Editor in charge: [Ji Xiang]