Business | Tourism
Italian cruise line heads to region
The Middle East region is as safe as any other place in the world and ready to join global cruise tourism, according to a top executive of an Italy-based ship company.
- By Sunil K. Vaidya, Bureau Chief
- Published: 00:00 December 28, 2006
- Image Credit:
- Costa Crociere's Costa Classica cruise ship. The Italian company is launching its first seven-day cruise in the region with the vessel touching Dubai, Muscat, Fujairah, Abu Dhabi and Bahrain.
Muscat: The Middle East region is as safe as any other place in the world and ready to join global cruise tourism, according to a top executive of an Italy-based ship company.
"There's a need to change the perspective of the Middle East and convey that this region is safe and can be part of the global tourism," Pier Luigi Foschi, chairman and CEO of Italy's Costa Crociere's said aboard the Costa Classica that arrived at the Mina Qaboos in Muscat
The luxury cruise ship's first seven-day cruise in the region will start from Dubai (every Saturday) and call at Muscat (every Monday), Fujairah (every Tuesday), Abu Dhabi (every Wednesday), and Bahrain (every Thursday).
"For the first cruise in the GCC region we have booked passengers mostly from Europe and some from India," Foschi revealed adding that the passengers for the GCC Cruise will fly to Dubai from Europe - 90 per cent of them on charter flights from Frankfurt, Milan and Paris - and embark at Dubai.
"If the response is good we will even take local tourists for the next season's cruise in the area," he said.
Foschi sees big potential here but feels that attitude is still not there. "Population is big in Asia but they need to develop attitude of enjoying holidays," he said.
While the Italian shipping giant wants the world to regard the Middle East as a safe area for tourism, he also wants the local authorities to improve facilities, especially in Oman.
"I urge the government here to improve infrastructure like airports, ports and hotels," he said. "The facilities are good but there is a lot of room for improvement."
He said he would like to see seaports become more passenger friendly. "Passengers should be treated like passengers," he said, hoping that visa procedures will also be simplified to make it easier for the tourism wishing to come here and explore the beautiful landscapes.
Pankaj Khimji, director of Khimji Ramdas Group GSA for Costa in Oman, also urged the local authorities to plan for bigger port facilities and modern passenger amenities to facilitate the handling of the world's largest cruise ships.
"A total of 18 calls and 24,000 passengers in transit are forecast, tripling Oman's annual intake of Italian tourists," M. C. Jose, general manager Khimji Ramdas Shipping said, adding that the AIDAcara, a ship belonging to the German operator Aida Cruises, which is another Costa Crociere Spa brand, will also be making weekly calls to Muscat.
"Oman will receive approximately 58,000 tourists during this winter. The tourists who are visiting Oman on the cruise vessels are bound to return to Oman for a longer stay," Jose said.
The cruise industry will bring a tourism boom to the region but as Foschi said, the local infrastructure will have toimprove.
The global cruise industry is estimated at 15 million passengers a year with North America accounting for the largest market share.
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