Gulf cruise industry holds high hopes for future

Gulf cruise industry holds high hopes for future

The Gulf cruise industry is set to take off, with Cruise Arabia hoping to welcome one million cruise passengers to Dubai by 2020.

The Gulf cruising region has experienced rapid growth over the past decade, moving from less than 7000 cruise passengers in 2001 to 358 000 in 2014.

Dubai Events and Convention Bureau is optimistic, expecting 425,000 cruise passengers by the end of the year, a 5% increase from 2014.

With Royal Caribbean to join the 2015-16-winter season, Dubai will be hosting 5 cruise lines and a total of 7 ships at Dubai’s Mina Rashid Port.

“There is big potential with capturing transit passengers,” Dubai Events and Convention Bureau senior vice president Hamad Bin Mejren said.

Traditional stopover visitors including Australia, will be able to hop off and enjoy Arabian hospitality and experiences from the Gulf seas.

“Cruising is a very good way of seeing Dubai and six other destinations within the region,” Mejren said.

The location of Dubai, only eight hours from two-thirds of the world’s population, has made it a regional hub for cruise liners.

Plans to transform Mina Rashid into a tourist destination will be instituted over the next few years.

The development includes plans for hotels, shopping, museums and other attractions.

 

 

 

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