Qatar cruise passengers up 151%

Qatar Tourism reveals that the country welcomed more than 253,191 cruise visitors during 2022-23 cruise season, which is 151 per cent more compared to the last cruise season.

TT Bureau

Qatar continues to strengthen its position as a global tourism destination supported by a variety of leading tourist attractions and a range of exciting festivals and events. This significant growth in the visitors is particularly significant given that this year’s cruise season started later than usual (i.e. in December instead of October), as Doha Port welcomed floating hotels to accommodate visitors and fans coming to the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 ™. Of the cruise ship visitors received this season, 20 per cent were part of the partial transformation flights from which Doha was the starting and returning point, an increase of 790 per cent compared to the 4,172 passengers who came on these cruises during the previous season. Qatar also received 54 cruise visits during the 2022-23 cruise season, whether transit or round trip, representing an increase of 59 per cent compared to last year.

Qatar’s cruise sector has shown great resilience and remarkable growth. Despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, Qatar has seen a steady increase in the total number of cruise ships received and the number of visitors on board, and the cruise sector promises further growth in the coming seasons.

Qatar’s growing cruise sector has become an important pillar of the country’s efforts to achieve the objectives of its long-term tourism strategy, as evidenced by the comprehensive refurbishment of Doha Port, which can now receive two superships at a time and up to 12,000 cruise visitors per day.

Commenting on the achievement, Maryam Saud, Head, Tourism Product Support, Qatar Tourism, said: “These figures are testament to the great efforts made by all stakeholders in rebuilding the sector and supporting its recovery from the effects of the global pandemic, which included attracting operators of leading international cruise ships for the first time to Doha and introducing new cruise routes with Doha as the departure and return point. Doha Port’s vital location in the heart of the city allows hundreds of thousands of visitors to quickly explore attractions such as Al Mina District, Museum of Islamic Art, Souq Waqif, National Museum of Qatar, Msheireb and Doha Corniche and more.”