The Doha Port served more than 66,000 tourists in the 2017-18 season, a 97% increase over the previous season.
Disclosing this, Qatar Ports Management Company (Mwani Qatar) said on Twitter yesterday that the jump in tourist arrivals via Doha Port "confirms Qatar's appeal as a tourism destination and its ability to become a major cruise hub in the Middle East".
A total of 33,600 tourists arrived in Doha via the port in the 2016-17 season, according to Mwani Qatar.
The 2017-18 cruise season began on October 26 last year and concluded earlier this week.
More than 20 visits were made to Doha by various vessels, including two mega cruise ships — MSC Splendida and TUI Mein Schiff 5 — during this period.
Mwani Qatar had made all necessary arrangements to ensure the success of the season and provide the best services for passengers and vessels visiting the port, in co-ordination with Qatar Tourism Authority, the Ministry of Interior and General Authority of Customs.
Tourists arriving on these ships got the opportunity to visit several landmarks in the country.
A number of cruise ships of different sizes made multiple visits to Doha since October last year, carrying thousands of passengers and crew members.
One of these was the Seabourn Encore, which has a capacity of around 600 passengers and whose visits marked both the start and end of the season.
On the other hand, mega cruise vessel TUI Mein Schiff 5 called on Doha Port eight times during the season, the highest among all the visiting ships.
MSC Splendida, another mega cruise ship, was the largest vessel to call on the port during the season. It visited Doha six times.
Earlier, at the beginning of the season, Mwani Qatar had noted that the success achieved in the 2016-2017 season had increased the attractiveness of Qatar as an important tourist destination in the region, prompting more international shipping lines to include the country on their list of destinations. (Source)
Photo credit: iStock by Getty Images
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