Qatar cruise tourism boosts with three ships calling in a week

Hundreds of tourists exploring the Arabian Gulf on board regional cruises visited Qatar last week. 

The visitors, who arrived on three ships at Doha Port, received a warm welcome with Arabic coffee, a traditional Ardha performance, and photo opportunities with a falcon.

They participated in organised tours of Qatar’s key landmarks before returning to their ships at the end of the day and continuing a region-wide cruise. 

The ships included the Seabourn Sojourn, which was making its maiden voyage to Qatar, the MS Island Sky, which is the first ship to dock in Qatar as part of the Cruise Arabia Alliance and the MS Europe 2. 

"We are excited to be calling in the dynamic city of Doha, Qatar for the first time," said John Delaney, Seabourn’s senior vice president of global marketing & sales.

"It is a world class destination with a wonderful blend of historic and cultural sites combined with a beautiful, modern landscape."

The dockings come as Qatar ramps up efforts to expand its cruise tourism sector.

In December this year, Qatar Tourism Authority will host the Seatrade Middle East Cruise Forum, where cruise line executives, government representatives and industry stakeholders from the ports, tourism, immigration and security departments will gather to discuss the future of cruising in the Arabian Gulf.

[Gulf Times]