Qatar Welcomes Over 190,000 Cruise Passengers During H1 2024/2025 Cruise Season
Date
2/3/2025 10:04:55 AM
(MENAFN- The Peninsula)
QNA
Doha: Qatar tourism has announced that during the 1st half of the 2024/2025 cruise season, Qatar welcomed over 53 cruise ships, bringing 191,944 cruise passengers to the country's shores. This includes 20,951 turnaround passengers who have used Doha as a starting point for their cruise journeys.
In a statement, Qatar Tourism said that this remarkable mid-season (until January 20) success for the 2024/2025 cruise season, reaffirms the State of Qatar's position as a growing hub for cruise tourism in the GCC region.
It added that to date, visitors from Germany lead arrival figures with (30.2 percent), followed by Russia at (10.8 percent) and Italy at (9.2 percent).
The top 10 nationalities collectively account for 69.2 percent of the total number of passengers.
Qatar Tourism said that this season was further enriched by the arrival of four new cruise ships visiting Doha for the first time including Resorts World One, MSC Euribia, Celestyal Journey, and Costa Smeralda. Additionally, Norwegian Sky is expected to call on 12 April 2025. Costa Smeralda, ranked the 8th largest cruise ship in the world scheduled to make 10 calls this season, bringing an estimated total of 82,000 passengers.
Commenting on this development, Chief of the Tourism Development Sector at Qatar Tourism Omar Al Jaber said, "The impressive growth of Qatar's cruise sector is a testament to our strategic vision as part of the National Tourism Strategy 2030. Looking ahead, more than 30 cruise ships are expected by the end of the season in April 2025, bringing approximately 185,000 demonstrates the rising demand for Qatar's exceptional cruise offerings combined with strong partnerships with global cruise operators. These record-breaking numbers reflect Doha's growing prominence as a regional turnaround hub. As we continue to invest in state-of-the-art infrastructure and enrich the visitor experience, our commitment to positioning Qatar as a premier cruise destination remains steadfast."
The cruise industry has become a cornerstone of Qatar's national tourism strategy, experiencing remarkable growth in recent years. Doha Port's strategic location in the heart of the city allows visitors to maximize their short stays. (QNA)
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