Two hundred and eighty tourists arrived at the Doha port on the American cruise ship Silver Wind, yesterday.
“New rules introduced by the Qatar Tourism and Exhibitions Authority (QTEA) recently, allow Qatari authorities to process visas of passengers within four to seven working days in advance before the ship’s arrival,” a QTEA official said.
On the day of arrival, while passports of the ship’s passengers are collected, they can disembark and visit the country.
The QTEA remains in touch with all cruises coming to Qatar, ensuring that all procedures go smoothly. Passengers are given traditional Qatari hospitality on arrival.
Dan, an American tourist, who was impressed with the warm welcome he received on arrival, said: “It was so pleasant to be introduced to the Qatari culture as soon as we got on ground. It was my first time to this country, and I didn’t know you this has such a rich heritage. I really appreciated meeting with a pearl diver.”
Another passenger, Jane, said: “The first impression I get when arriving in a country is the one I always remember. I will always cherish this cheerful welcome, with dates, coffee, and traditional music.”
QTEA chairman Ahmed al-Nuaimi said: “The QTEA is catering to luxury cruises demand for the best of our hospitality and culture. Yet our efforts are going far beyond the cruises companies’ expectations. We are always working to make their experience a pleasant one, thanks to new visa rule valid for both Qatar and Oman that will facilitate new routes linking the two countries.”
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