Dubai: Dubai: Dubai’s cruise season kicked off with the arrival of TUI Cruise Line’s Mein Schiff 6 at Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal, Mina Rashid on October 23.
Dubai, the region’s cruise hub, welcomed over 2,000 passengers and crew on board Mein Schiff 6, the first of several luxury ships that will dock at the cruise terminals at Mina Rashid. The 2022 season is expected to welcome over 500,000 cruise visitors and 126 ship calls, contributing further to the momentum of Dubai’s tourism recovery.
The strong outlook for Dubai as a cruise tourism hub will help the emirate build on the robust performance of its broader tourism sector and further accelerate the rise in visitor numbers to the emirate.
Sheikh Mansoor hailed Dubai’s effective management of the COVID-19 pandemic. He said this has enabled the emirate to restore normalcy in record time and accelerate the recovery of the tourism sector. The emirate has also been able to demonstrate its ability to swiftly negotiate any challenges and restore growth across all sectors.
The arrival of the first cruise vessel in Dubai comes weeks after the Cruise Arabia Alliance, a grouping of regional cruise bodies including Dubai attended the Seatrade Cruise Global event in Miami with the aim of further enhancing the cruise tourism industry in the region.
“The arrival of Mein Schiff 6 at Hamdan bin Mohammed Cruise Terminal will further usher in an impressive rebound for the sector, encouraging other leading cruise lines to operate regular international itineraries to the emirate,” said Sultan Ahmed bin Sulayem, Group Chairman and CEO, DP World. “Through Mina Rashid and our flagship terminal, we will continue our endeavours for the recovery of global tourism by supporting our stakeholders and partners.”
“In this landmark year for Dubai featuring Expo 2020 and the UAE Golden Jubilee, the arrival of TUI Cruises’ Mein Schiff 6 is a significant expression of confidence in Dubai as a cruise destination and marks a major step in the revival of the cruise industry in this part of the world.” Helal Saeed Al Marri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (Dubai Tourism).
Dubai’s popularity as a cruise destination has increased significantly over the past decade. This resulted in the world’s biggest cruise lines considering Dubai as a port of call in their cruise itineraries while some luxury liners have chosen Dubai as their homeport. The 2021-2022 cruise season will see increased efforts to promote cruise tourism in Dubai.
