Dubai tourism chiefs are aiming to record an 18 percent increase in cruise ship calls during the 2016/17 season, leading to 157 ship calls and an estimated 600,000 cruise tourists arriving in the city.
The season for Dubai Cruise Tourism started this month and two new lines – Norwegian Cruise Line and Thomson Cruises – will make their debut in the region with their maiden call to Dubai.
Thomson Cruises will be the first ever UK-based cruise line to home port in Dubai contributing over 12 calls and over 25,000 cruise tourists to Dubai.
Dubai’s 2015/2016 season saw passenger numbers grow by 19 percent and ship calls increase by 24 percent compared to the previous year, a statement said.
Dubai Cruise has experienced significant growth since 2014, after the implementation of the multiple entry UAE visa, which opened up potential emerging source markets such as India, China, South America and Russia.
Jamal Humaid Al Falasi, director of Dubai Cruise Tourism said: “Through our cruise tourism strategy, we aim to bring in 1 million tourists to Dubai by 2020 and we are heading in the right direction.”
Dubai Cruise Tourism said it is working in collaboration with Emirates Airlines, DP World, Dubai Customs, Dubai Immigration and other relevant stakeholders in order to provide comprehensive support and increase flexibility for the cruise lines and travellers.
Source: Arabian Business
