Abu Dhabi: There has been an increase of 16% in passenger numbers and 20% jump in vessel calls at Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal which was inaugurated last year.
The cruise terminal welcomed 231,660 tourists during 2015/16 cruise season compared to 35,366 passengers ten years ago at Zayed Port, Abu Dhabi Ports which manages the terminal said in a statement.
“This impressive double-digit growth in the face of economic headwinds is a remarkable achievement and further strengthens Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal’s role in boosting the country’s tourism industry,” said Captain Mohammad Juma Al Shamisi, CEO of Abu Dhabi Ports.
“We are working closely with our strategic partners to reinforce Abu Dhabi’s position as a major global destination and attract international cruise liners to not only call at Abu Dhabi as part of their itinerary but also to choose the emirate as their starting point for regional cruises by making it their homeport,” he added.
According to Abu Dhabi Ports, 113 cruise ships called at Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal during the 2015/2016 season, marking a 20 per cent growth over the 94 ships that docked at Zayed Port during the 2014/2015 season.
Tourists from Germany, Italy, and the United Kingdom made up 80 per cent of cruise visitors to Abu Dhabi during the cruise season.
Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminal is the first cruise ship terminal in the region that provides integrated facilities and operations with international airport passenger check-in capabilities with dedicated Abu Dhabi Airport counters and Etihad Airways services.
