Abu Dhabi could be getting a lot more cruise ships docking at its ports, if the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi gets its way.
There are a number of new maritime initiatives this year to continue to boost tourism in the sector.
The activities cover both the cruise and yachting sectors, in an effort to attract at least 556,000 cruise visitors and 80 superyachts in 2020, according to our sister site Arabian Business.
Maritime tourism in Abu Dhabi witnessed a record-breaking year last year with 518,000 cruise visitors, up 46 percent compared to 2018 while the number of cruise calls increased by 43 percent to 193.
And now the cool Mina Marsa area is open at Mina Port, there’s even more going on for cruises docking in the city.
“The success we have achieved in the past year is a testament to Abu Dhabi’s position as a world-class hub for maritime tourism,” said Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, acting executive director of Tourism and Marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi.
“For 2020, we will build on this success to attract even more businesses and tourists to the UAE capital and to continue to provide them with exceptional service and extraordinary experiences. Our goal is to improve navigation and accessibility, provide unrivalled luxury and service, and encourage tourists to explore Abu Dhabi and its diverse offerings.”
Noura Rashid Al Dhaheri, director of Cruise Business at Abu Dhabi Ports, added that Abu Dhabi is also set to ramp up destination development efforts to further grow maritime tourism in the UAE capital in 2020.
As part of its strategy, DCT Abu Dhabi has announced a number of initiatives that will take place throughout the year to include local events and projects as well as participation in international events to promote the destination to global audiences.
Abu Dhabi is also seeing the development of several landmark projects and events in this sector. Among the most prominent is Al Qana, the 2.4km canal project, which is set to open later this year.
In the coming months, Abu Dhabi’s cruise terminals will see the return dockings of top cruise liners including MSC Bellissima, MSC Lirica, AIDAprima, Costa Diadema, MS Jewel of the Seas, MV Horizon, and Mein Schiff 5.
