Tourism is one of Qatar’s top priority sectors, integral to its vision of diversifying its economy and increasing private sector participation. Qatar’s impeccable position at the crossroads of East and West makes it an attractive international business hub.
With a combination of modern and traditional, the just-concluded FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, a spectacular line-up of events and unique tourist places, Qatar’s attractiveness to international travellers has never been more illuminated as it is today.
Yesterday, the German cruise ship ‘AIDAcosma’ docked at Doha Port with 4,000 tourists and 1,438 crew members on board, on its sixth voyage to Qatar, during the 2022/23 cruise season, scheduled to last until April.
Operated by ‘AIDA Cruises’ and sailing under the flag of Italy, AIDAcosma is one of the largest cruise ships within the AIDA fleet, with a capacity of more than 6,600 passengers and 1,636 crew members, according to Mawani Qatar report. Qatar Tourism had announced plans to boost the cruise sector, with an estimated 200,000 tourists expected this season.
The cruise sector has contributed to strengthening Qatar’s position as a leading destination for tourism in the region. The industry supports national economic growth by increasing tourism spending and providing employment and business opportunities. Doha Port received about 8,000 visitors in December 2022, mainly from Italy and Russia. The total number of visitors in the previous season reached over 100,000 passengers.
Cruise visitor visas and streamlined disembarkation process have been put in place, enabling visitors to immediately explore the best the country has to offer.
Besides, the country’s new Grand Terminal will accommodate up to 12,000 people daily. Its location, minutes away from some of Doha’s most popular attractions, is also an advantage as it brings visitors to popular places like the National Museum of Qatar, the Doha Corniche, Mina District, and Souq Waqif.
Authorities have invested around QR2bn for the Doha Port redevelopment project, transforming the port into a permanent cruise terminal and tourist attraction. With the project’s completion and the associated capacity increase, which will allow the port to receive two mega-ships simultaneously, Qatar is expected to attract 500,000 cruise tourists by 2026. Belgium, Brazil, France, India, Italy, Germany, Spain, and the United Kingdom are among the leading source countries of cruise ships arriving at Doha Port.
Mega cruise ship ‘Mein Schiff 6’ arrived earlier this month with 2,435 tourists. Before that, Doha Port received 3,426 tourists aboard the Italian cruise ship ‘Costa Toscana.’ French cruise ship Le Bougainville arrival in December kicked off the cruise season.
