Middle East Looks to Grow Cruise Tourism Industry

Middle East Looks to Grow Cruise Tourism Industry

The cruise tourism sector in the Middle East is seeing a steady increase in passengers as the sector gains traction in the region. Dubai expects cruise passenger numbers to reach 425,000 in 2011 (compared to 390,000 in 2010), and has forecasted that its annual passenger numbers will increase 50,000 year-on-year until 2015.

In Oman, the Mina Qaboos port posted a record 231,000 passengers for the 2010/2011 winter season, up 72% over the previous year, while Mina Zayed in Abu Dhabi is expecting to see about 145,000 cruise visitors this winter.

Plans are also in the works to boost cruise tourism facilities in these countries, with Qatar having announced plans to build a cruise ship terminal at Doha's new $5.5bn deepwater seaport with capacity for two to three cruise ships.

Elsewhere in the Gulf, Oman said it plans to shift the cargo and container operations from Port Sultan Qaboos (PSQ) to Sohar port and convert PSQ as an exclusive tourism port, while the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority has erected a new tented cruise terminal at Mina Zayed which is capable of accommodating 1,300 passengers.

ADTA, which has prioritised cruise tourism as one of its five 2011/2012 strategy pillars, is also planning to construct a permanent, purpose-built cruise terminal at Mina Zayed as part of an effort to grow its cruise tourism sector to 300 calls and 600,000 passengers by 2030.

The Middle East is also seeing a rise in cruise ships, with Costa Cruises, the first major line to introduce Gulf itineraries, upping capacity by 16% this winter season. Meanwhile, Royal Caribbean will upgrade its operation with the introduction of Serenade of the Seas from 2012, and MSC arrives in the region this autumn with a series of winter itineraries out of Abu Dhabi with MSC Lirica, including Khasab in the Musandam as a major port of call for the first time, according to the organisers of the Seatrade Middle East Cruise Convention, which took place in Dubai last week.

UK-based cruise industry analyst Tony Peisley says another factor that is boosting the cruise industry in general is that fact that tourists are looking for the best value in these economic times, and cruise ships' all-inclusive business model is seen as a way to cut costs.