ships in the world with room for 150 passengers and 120 crew members is currently sailing along the northern shores of South America to visit various locations with a rich culture and nature. The arrival of the cruise ship went smoothly thanks to the digital Immigration and Customs Form (ICF) which enables travelers to provide their particulars online.

According to the ICF Shift Supervisor, this system ensures a smooth, safe and modern processing of international visitors. During their 1 day stay in Paramaribo the passengers visited the UNESCO historic center, the Suriname River and various cultural and ecotourism locations.Dinesh Ramlal, director at Travel The Guianas, said this visit proves the potential of Suriname in the tourism sector. “But there is still much work to be done. All of the attention is currently going to oil and gas but tourism could be just as profitable,” said Ramlal. “Each tourist provides income to nearly 27 people without damage to nature or the environment.” Ramlal explained that Suriname is unique thanks to its culture, culinary diversity and nature heritage. According to Ramlal, the government should invest in air bridges, incentives and well-trained guides. The tour operator also advises the Surinamese government to look towards the Dutch market and to focus its attention on countries such as Germany, Canada, England, China and the United States of America. Pearl Gerding, Manager Security at Port Management, pointed out that it is a huge challenge when cruise ships arrive at the Surinamese port because letting passengers exit the ship must be combined with the smooth loading and unloading of goods. She explained that there is currently no special terminal for cruise ships. According to Gerding, Port Management and the Suriname Tourism Board are looking at the profitability of this market. Each year about 79 ships Sail to Devil’s Island in neighboring French Guyana. If half of those ships were to visit Suriname, Port Management would have to build a special terminal for cruise ships. Port Management is already discussing its plans with the port of Curaçao because of their experience with cruise ships. Gerding emphasized that everything is being done to secure the safety in the port especially for tourists. ICF Unit announced the arrival of another cruise ship on December 5th, 2025. This confirms the growing interest in Suriname as a travel destination.