The Ministry of Tourism Oman (Oman Tourism), Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) have announced a partnership to promote cruise tourism in the GCC. The partnership was launched with a Cruise Gulf Road Show which took place from 25 November to 3 December 2013, touring several cities in the GCC, with the objectives of increasing the number of residents in the region who consider cruise as a holiday option; increasing the awareness of the Gulf as a cruise tourism destination; and to train and motivate regional travel trade agents to sell cruises in the Gulf sailing out of Dubai.
Dubai is the cruise hub of the region, with state-of-the-art infrastructure and services, including the largest cruise facility in the Middle East – which is set to be bolstered further by a substantial expansion in the 2013-2014 season. The Emirate has been the home port for the world’s leading cruise lines such as Costa, Aida, Royal Caribbean, TUI and MSC Cruises. Costa, Aida and MSC has confirmed gulf cruise itineraries out of Dubai for 2013-2014 season. The port of Oman and Abu Dhabi are a vital part of these itineraries.
Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), said, “The Cruise Gulf Road Show presents a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate the continued growth and success of Dubai’s cruise tourism industry and to join with our partners from Oman and Abu Dhabi cruise industries to promote the Gulf as an attractive cruising destination. Following significant investment in infrastructure for cruise tourism across the region, the Middle East is increasingly recognized as a key growth market for the cruise industry and by working closely with our partners from Oman and Abu Dhabi we can contribute to this growth.”
The delegation comprised of the representatives from the three tourism authorities and Cruise line Costa and MSC visited a number of GCC neighbours over the six day roadshow, targeting an overall audience of 400-450 leading travel agents and other key stakeholders. The roadshow arrived in Kuwait on Monday 25 November, followed by Bahrain on the 26th and Qatar on the 27th. It then travelled to Saudi Arabia from 1-3 December, spending a single day each in Jeddah, Riyadh and Al Khobar. On each occasion, speeches and presentations by Oman Tourism, TCA Abu Dhabi and DTCM, were followed by presentations by MSC and Costa Cruises, a question and answer session, and a dinner for attendees.
Salim Al Mamari, Director General of Tourism Development, Oman Ministry of Tourism, said, “These are truly exciting times for the GCC region’s tourism industry, particularly across the luxury cruise segment, which has demonstrated continuous growth. In line with this, the joint venture agreement between Oman’s Ministry of Tourism, the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority proves to be both timely and strategic as it joins hands in positioning the region as a premiere cruising destination–ultimately driving in huge economic and development opportunities for the whole GCC.”
Sultan Al Dhaheri, Director, Tourism Eco-Systems, Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority commented, “Abu Dhabi has long-term cruise industry ambitions and is working closely with our regional destination partners to progress a GCC-wide approach to fulfill the needs of operators. To build the business we need to provide the desired physical infrastructure, supply enticing and engaging shore excursions and assist the operators by building the profile of the industry among the regional travel trade and consumers. We are putting intense effort behind reaching our goals and anticipate a gradual evolution of the regional cruise industry and uptake in cruise offerings from within the GCC and beyond”.
MSC and Costa Cruises Italian companies with 12 and 14 ships respectively are two of the globe’s most popular cruise providers, offering expeditions to a plethora of destinations around the world. Both have chosen Dubai to be among their home ports this cruise season.
Dario Rustico, Director of Sales & Marketing, Central Europe, Africa, Middle East and India, Costa Cruises said, “The UAE and the GCC Region is a firm fixture in our winter deployment since 2006 and our participation to the Cruise Gulf Road Show is the first of many activities we have in the pipeline, in line with our plan to invest more to develop the local source market. For the 2013-2014 season, we will deploy two ships in the region – the Costa Fortuna with a capacity for 3,470 passengers and the Costa NeoRiviera which has a capacity for 1,727 passengers – offering cruises calling at Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Muscat and Khasab. The two ships will make a total of 27 cruises in the region and next year we will deploy a larger ship, the Costa Serena, which has a capacity for 3,780 passengers for another 17 cruises”.
The MSC Cruises liner MSC Lirica returns to the United Arab Emirates for the 2013-2014 winter season, taking travellers on what it describes as an unparalleled journey of discovery through the region’s rich traditions, vibrant modernity and dramatic landscapes. From 23 November 2013 until 29 March 2014, MSC Lirica will offer 8 Day-7 Night cruises from Dubai, calling in Abu Dhabi-UAE, Khor al Fakkan-UAE, and Muscat and Khasab-Oman, with an overnight stay in Dubai allowing travellers to enjoy the unique nightlife of this glittering oasis of the desert.
Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, MSC Cruises, said, “MSC Cruises’ return to the Emirates reaffirms our strong belief in the region’s potential as an innovative and highly desirable destination for cruise travellers.”
