Dubai expected to receive 420,000 cruise tourists in 2012

Dubai, May 27, 2012: The plan for a multiple entry UAE visa for cruise passengers, which has been under discussion for almost three years, is finally expected to be in place by September, according to a senior official of Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).

At a press conference organized onboard the cruiseship, Voyager of the Seas, to commemorate its  maiden call to Dubai on the 15th  May, Mr. Hamad bin Mejren, DTCM Executive Director of Business Tourism, remarked:  "We have re-emphasized the importance of having implemented a multiple entry UAE visa for the cruise tourists to the highest level and it is underway. Hopefully, we will have a positive feedback before the next cruise season commencing October, 2012."

Accomplishment of such a visa will be a great support to the cruise lines in selling their holiday cruise packages in the region and consequently the UAE will benefit. The current visa process imposes financial burden as well as a lot of documentation procedures for the tourists of nationalities who are not on the list of countries whose citizens' gets visa on arrival. There are 32 countries on the list.   

The multiple entry visas will help in removing such obstacles and will create a wider marketing perspective to bring tourists from key source markets such as Russia, China, India, South Africa, Brazil and other emerging markets.

Dubai is the "cruise hub of the region" and serves as a home port for five world's leading cruise lines like Costa Cruises, Aida Cruises, Royal Caribbean International, TUI Cruises and FTI Cruises.

These cruise lines offer various seven nights cruise itineraries in the region and some lines offer longer itineraries covering major ports of India and Sri Lanka as well. In addition, more than 20 world-class cruise lines have Dubai as a port of call in their international itinerary.

Dubai Cruise Terminals, managed and operated by DTCM for the Government of Dubai, catered to 396,500 cruise tourist who arrived from 108 ship calls in 2011. 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. The projections for 2013 are 125 cruise ships and 450,000 passengers and in 2014 the number of cruise ships and passengers will be 135 and 475,000, respectively. In 2015, this number will go up to 145 cruise ships and 500,000 passengers.

Dubai has the most modern and the largest cruise facility in GCC, spanning over a 12,000 sq.mts with a dedicated pier length of 2000 meters with the capacity to accommodate five to six cruise ships simultaneously.

Dubai bagged four awards at an industry event in Miami recently in recognition of the stellar performance of its cruise tourism sector and for the high standards of operations of the Dubai Cruise Terminal. The categories in which Dubai was selected are: Most efficient terminal operations, most efficient port services, Best turnaround port operations and most improved port facilities.

The Dubai Cruise Terminals, which completed 10 years of successful operations last year, has been witnessing significant increase in the number of cruise ships and cruise passengers each passing year.

DTCM established the Dubai Cruise Terminal in 2001 and the new facility with higher handling capacity was inaugurated in February 2010 to meet the business growth expectations. Plans are in place to build additional terminals to meet the forecasted growth.  Upon completion of the planned expansion the Dubai Cruise terminals will have the capacity to handle six mega cruise ships simultaneously.

For further information, please contact:
Saad El Sayed
Head of English/Arabic Media
Telephone: +9714-2010424
Email: selsayed@dubaitourism.ae   
www.dubaitourism.ae  

© Press Release 2012