Hassan al-Ibrahim, Hamad M bin Mejren and Rashed  al-Qurese speak on the sidelines of the Seatrade
Middle East Cruise Forum. PICTURE: Jayan Orma

By Joey Aguilar/Staff Reporter


The six-member Cruise Arabia Alliance will be working closely for “a more inter-connected and integrated region” to promote maritime tourism, it was announced at the Seatrade Middle East Cruise forum, which concluded in Doha on Tuesday.
The alliance, composed of Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Sharjah, Qatar, Oman and Bahrain, wants to tap new markets and bring more tourists to various unique destinations in the GCC.
Hamad M bin Mejren, senior vice president, Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, Dubai Tourism, said they are building a global brand to promote the region and to increase the number of tourists from different parts of the world.
“Today, the Gulf region is one of the leading winter cruise destinations in the world,” he said. “Everyone is joining hands to support this industry and it will eventually benefit us all.” QTA, which joined the alliance early this year, expressed confidence that both its cruise industry and business events (under the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Events sector) will benefit from the initiative.
“Overall the region is moving, some destinations are more advanced from others but still have an integrated tourism offering,” QTA chief marketing and promotions officer Rashed al-Qurese said.
In a press statement, QTA noted that the alliance encourages its members to share best practices and ensure a region-wide level of service and standards, offered to both the cruise lines and their passengers.
The six GCC countries, including Qatar, are also expected to upgrade their infrastructure to receive more cruise ships in the future.
“We are building infrastructure and Qatar’s human capital; we have a new destination brand that consolidates the industry’s efforts to attract more visitors,” QTA’s chief tourism development officer Hassan al-Ibrahim said.
Besides plans to enhance visa processing, he noted that they will also focus on enriching the tourism experience by diversifying their offerings.
Mejren said a visa specifically for cruise passengers will open up new key markets such as India, China, Russia, and South America, including Brazil.
Earlier, the visa in Dubai used to cost an extra 30% of the total cost of the trip, but was reduced to $50 for a one month multiple entry.
“Cruise ships don’t care about one destination, they care about the region,” he added.