Dubai has over the last few years emerged as the destination of choice for many cruise companies that are using the emirate as a hub in the Middle East. Costa Cruises, Aida and Royal Caribbean are among the cruise liners that are using Dubai Cruise Terminal, the Middle East’s largest cruise tourism facility, as a regional cruising hub.
Operated by DTCM (Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing), Dubai Cruise Terminal catered to 396,500 cruise tourists who arrived from 108 ship calls in 2011, and this year Dubai is expected to see 420,000 cruise tourists to the emirate, giving a big push to the tourism growth and the economy, DTCM said earlier this week in an e-mailed statement.
The tourism body stated that the numbers are projected to go up to 450,000 passengers and 125 cruise ships in 2013; 475,000 passengers and 135 ships in 2014; and 500,000 passengers and 145 cruise ships in 2015.
Dubai serves as a home port for five major global cruise lines — Costa Cruises, Aida Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, TUI Cruises and FTI Cruises.
According to Norbert Stiekema, executive vice-president of sales and marketing at Costa Cruises, the company is gradually trying to expand into the Middle East market as well as India to support the itineraries they have in the region. He said that depending on how successful that move is, the company will be able to add more routes to the region.
