Saleh Fareed
GULF tourism experts have expressed hope that the GCC states could become cruise tourist destinations in the near future. This hope was raised on Monday as the Cruise Arabia road show 2015 kicked off here in Jeddah with the attendance of a delegation consisted of the Ministry of Tourism Oman, Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) .
On the occasion, speeches and presentations by Oman Tourism, TCA Abu Dhabi and DTCM were followed by presentations. According to the attending delegations, Cruise Arabia road show aims at raising awareness of the Arabian Gulf’s unique destination offering among major players from the international cruise industry.
The Cruise Arabia partners showcased cruise tourism opportunities in the Arabian Gulf and the diversity of the region’s destination offering — including its city skylines, desert landscapes and beaches; the world’s most sophisticated malls and traditional souks; natural wilderness and adventure experiences; and its art, culture and heritage.
The partners also shared details of the region’s world-leading hotels and burgeoning gastronomy scenes to encourage tourists to extend their stays prior to or post cruise travel.
“Following significant investment in infrastructure for cruise tourism across the region, the Middle East is increasingly recognized as a key growth market for the industry and by working closely with our partners from Oman and Abu Dhabi, we can contribute to this growth,” said Hamad Bin Mijrin, Executive Director of DTCM.
He also pointed out that Cruise Arabia, the collaborative initiative formed by Oman, Abu Dhabi and Dubai aimed to make the Gulf region an attractive route to the cruise industry as it gains in prominence as a cruise location. “We are aware of the importance of the cruise industry and are working towards making significant investments in infrastructure to meet the opportunity and drive demand in the region. This collation aims to play a major role in developing regional itineraries and facilities,” he said. Bin Mijrin noted that Awareness has definitely grown among GCC tourists and we hope that the cruise industry grows up in Abu Dhabi as a cruise destination.
After highlighting the main touristic spots in Oman, Khalid Al Zadjali, director of tourism events, ministry of tourism, said, “The joint venture agreement between Oman’s Ministry of Tourism, the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority proves to in position the region as a premiere cruising destination.”
Meanwhile, Sultan Al Dhaheri, Director, Tourism Eco-Systems, Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority, said, “Abu Dhabi has long-term cruise industry ambitions and is working closely with our regional destination partners to progress a GCC-wide approach to fulfil the needs of operators.”
He added, “We are all 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.”
The delegation will visit next Riyadh, Khobar and Kuwait over the six day road-show, targeting a number of leading travel agents. MSC , Royal Caribbean and Costa Cruises, globe’s most popular cruise providers, have been chosen for Cruise Arabia.
