Dubai has been actively promoting cruise tourism since the late 1990s and hit record numbers in the 2016-2017 season, according to Hamad Mohammed bin Mejren, senior vice president of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM).
“We’ve come a long way in the 2016-2017 season we welcomed 625,000 cruise passengers – our highest ever number,” he says. “Homeporting came to an end in May, but ships will keep calling. When you have 625,000 passengers roaming around the city, it has a big and positive economic impact.”
Brand Dubai has pulling power. Not only is Dubai acknowledged as a leading luxury hospitality destination, but it also has a wide variety of shore excursion options for any type of cruise tourist.
“We have adventure, culture, shopping, cuisine and much more,” says Suresh Babu Balan, manager of cruise tourism at DTCM. “Our tour programme typically features more than 25 shore excursions in Dubai – including city, walking and sunrise/sunset tours, as well as adventures, cultural heritage excursions, cycling, golf, and countless other sports and activities. We have new additions to the programme for families, including IMG Worlds of Adventure, the world’s largest indoor theme park. There really is something for everyone.”
Dubai is a natural choice for a cruise ship homeport. It has a well-established and growing reputation as a tourist hotspot and offers easy access to both the world’s highest capacity airport and the incredible destinations that are featured on Arabian adventure cruises. Plus, it has a well-equipped port that offers technical services, and the government has invested significantly in building a tourist-friendly infrastructure to meet its ambitious tourism growth plans.
“The vision of the rulers of Dubai is to receive 20 million visitors by 2020 and we have been growing every year in line with those targets,” comments Mejren, noting that the cruise industry will account for a significant proportion of that total.
One factor helping to boost numbers is that Dubai has been quick to respond to any issues that could hamper growth, such as the previous Visa issues for cruise tourists. “[Some] cruise passengers used to have to obtain three Visas for their Arabian Gulf cruise itinerary at a cost of about US$250,” explains Mejren. “We worked hard with the relevant authorities and now have a Multiple Entry UAE Visit Visa exclusively for cruise tourist that lasts for a month at a cost of just US$50.”
This no-nonsense, swift action is winning business and Dubai certainly has a big future in the cruise sector. Today, the essence of the Dubai cruise experience is great food, good weather, luxury duty-free goods, safety, security, diversity and outstanding hospitality. However, the city offers so much more for cruise passengers than its already well-established reputation suggests, particularly when it comes to the amazing collection of shore excursions. So how does the DCTM plan to drive further growth?
“Cruise terminals in Dubai can simultaneously handle the complete turnaround of five ships and around 25,000 passengers,” Mejren says. “We aim to grow our calls through the week and extend the current season. We want to be the world’s leading winter cruise destination.”