Members of the cruise tourism industry gathered to celebrate the closing of the 2017-2018 season, which ended last month, registering a remarkable growth in the number of passengers. 

Qatar Tourism Authority (QTA) expressed their appreciation to representatives of the cruise tourism value chain, including immigration, port and customs officials; tour guides and tour operators, providers of logistical support and operators of tourism landmarks, for their role in facilitating seamless and memorable experiences to 65,000 passengers and crew, which passed through Qatar in the past months.

Visitors, whose numbers increased by 39%, arrived in Qatar onboard 22 cruise ships, 14 of which were mega-ships. The cruise season continued from October 2017 until April 2018, and witnessed five maiden voyages to Doha, made by MSC Splendida, Mein Schiff 5, Crystal Symphone, Europa 2 and Crystal Serenity. According to data gathered by QTA, 86% of passengers disembarked and enjoyed Qatar’s various offerings, with 53% preferring city tours, and 18% choosing desert safaris.

QTA Acting Chairman Hassan Al Ibrahim said they were delighted to celebrate the success of the 2017-2018 cruise season with all their partners who made it possible.

Our strategy identifies cruise tourism as a key contributor to the growth and development targets for the next five years: not only does it have an immediate impact on visitor arrivals and tourism spending, it is also one of the most effective tools in promoting Qatar as a destination, turning each passenger who experiences Qatar into an ambassador among prospective travellers.’

He added that the cruise tourism sector, the growth of which is entirely dependent on coordinated efforts, has become a ‘model’ for the success that can be achieved if parties across the public and private sectors, join hands.

Consolidating efforts towards an enhanced visitor experience is at the heart of The Next Chapter of the Qatar National Tourism Sector Strategy 2017-2023.’

Data gathered by QTA showed that most visitors aboard cruise ships this season were European, with the largest number from Germany – 20,275 visitors or 44%. Italian and British visitors formed the second and third largest groups, respectively. In addition, more than 1,200 Brazilians also came onboard the various cruise ships.

QTA also conducted visitor satisfaction surveys throughout the season. Ninety-four percent of cruise visitors were satisfied with their overall visitor experience. The same percentage confirmed they would recommend Qatar as a destination for family and friends. Data also showed that most of the revenues from the 2017-2018 season came from tour excursion revenues, while 29% came from visitors’ personal expenditure.

QTA’s projections show continued growth in the cruise tourism industry over the coming years.  With the completion of the Doha Port re-development, and the associated capacity increase which will allow the port to receive two mega-ships at once, Qatar is expected to attract 500 thousand cruise tourists by 2026.

For more information about QTA, visit their website at visitqatar.qa