DOHA: Cruise passengers will make more than one million visits to GCC countries this 2015/2016 season, figures from Cruise Lines International Association reveal.
The news comes in time for Seatrade Middle East Cruise Forum, which opens today at Marsa Malaz Kempinski, the Pearl, Doha, hosted by Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA).
The two-day summit and conference brings together 12 global cruise line executives and regional stakeholders who will present and discuss innovative ways to tackle some of the challenges and opportunities for the industry’s growth in the region.
According to Hassan Al Ibrahim, Chief Tourism Development Officer, QTA, the forum could not come at a better time as this year marks a turning point in Qatar’s cruise tourism industry.
“We are proud to be hosting the forum at an exciting time for the global industry, when growth is continuing worldwide, particularly in newer destination markets,” said Al Ibrahim.
“In the Gulf, we have seen over 20 percent growth per year in the cruise industry over the past year, as travellers learn about new and unique experiences the region offers to traditional cruise lines, such as those covering the Caribbean and the Mediterranean. In a short time, the Arabian Gulf has risen to the top three cruise destinations worldwide during the winter months,” he said.
Qatar is enjoying healthy growth with five more ships expected this season which began in October and ends in April next year.
Officials from Qatar Ports Management Company ‘Mwani Qatar’ will present their five-year development plan at this morning’s opening session.
“We are pleased to be working with QTA and other government entities in Qatar to capitalise on the growth of the cruise tourism industry, through projects such as Hamad Port and the redevelopment of the Doha Port. We have made great progress and within the next season, Qatar will be able to receive larger cruise ships, enhancing our capacity and potential to welcome increasing number of tourists,” said Capt. Abdulla Al Khanji, CEO, Mwani Qatar.
Other regional ports have also seen a growth in cruise passenger numbers.
Abu Dhabi Zayed Port has scheduled 111 vessel calls with 210,000 passengers from across the globe during 2015/2016 season which represents a five-fold increase in the number of passengers and ships visiting Abu Dhabi since the first cruise season during 2006-2007.
Along the UAE coastline, Dubai has also welcomed a staggering increase in cruise tourists with a projected 550,000 passengers expected in 2016 and the capacity to handle six cruise ships simultaneously. In the northern emirate of Sharjah, home to two ports, plans for steady growth the coming season will see 43 calls and 93,000 passengers.
Muscat, host to the 2015 forum, continues to report an increase in cruise passengers and Bahrain earlier this year announced its share of the Middle East cruise port call market will double next year with the number of cruise ship visits jumping to 54.
The Peninsula
