Qatar tourism sector has embarked on a new journey- Cruise tourism. Although in its infancy in the country, initial numbers confirm that Cruise tourism will put Qatar in the global tourism map. Rising number of cruise tourist is pointing toward a promising start to this new and exciting journey.
Doha Port welcomed just 4,000 cruise passengers in 2015 but this number jumped multiple times in just one year as the port received 35,000 cruise passengers in 2016. The strong inflow of tourists is likely to continue as the Port is expecting to welcome 60,000 passengers in the current year.
Doha Port is aiming to attract half a million cruise passengers by 2022. Sharp rise in the number of cruise passengers in the past few years, suggest that the country is on stronger footing to accomplish this feat.
Many cruise ships have plans to dock at Doha Port. The cruise ship Seaborne Encore docked at Doha Port with more than 500 passengers on board on the last week of October that marked the start of 2017-2018 Cruise Season. This year there are five new ships making their maiden calls to Qatar, and for the first time two mega ships will be making calls into Doha Port.
A mega ship carries between 2,500 and 6,000 passengers, more than triple the capacity of a standard cruise ship. The large number of mega ships arriving this season is set to raise the cumulative number of visitors welcomed at Qatar’s shores.
German vessel Mein Schiff 5 was the first mega cruise ship of the year received by Doha Port. The German vessel measured 293 meters in length and is 15 decks high with a capacity to carry nearly 4,000 passengers and crew.
Mein Schiff 5, which is expected to return to Doha Port seven more times this season, is not the only mega cruise ship to carry thousands of passengers to Doha. The Italian mega ship MSC Splendida which carries 3,900 passengers, is also scheduled to make six calls to Doha Port this season.
Early this year ground was broken on the redevelopment of Doha Port which is set to be transformed into a dedicated cruise terminal. These efforts will ensure that cruise tourism will attract visitors from all over the world.
Already fast developing in some part of the globe, Cruise tourism will usher in a new era for Qatar’s tourism sector. Qatar is bound to become among the most sought after destinations for cruise tourists on the global map in the coming years.
