Dubai among top destinations for winter cruise tourism
RESIDENCY DEPARTMENT’S EFFORTS HAVE HELPED PROMOTE THE SECTOR, OFFICIAL SAYS
The efforts of the General Department of Residency and Foreigners Affairs (GDRFA-Dubai) to promote the city’s tourism sector and attract more visitors by offering unique services are proving to be successful with the growing numbers, according to a senior GDRFA official.
“The aim is to attract more tourists by offering unique services to the public and also through marketing by cooperating with the concerned authorities such as DP World and the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) to promote the tourism sector in Dubai and in the country,” Maj Gen Mohammad Al Merri, Director-General of the GDRFA-Dubai, said.
Maj Gen Al Merri said the development of the department’s services at Dubai seaports has made the ports among the world’s top destinations for winter cruise tourism, with more than 500,000 cruise tourists coming to Dubai last year.
“The cruise tourism in the UAE and Dubai has been increasing steadily. Dubai received more than 500,000 cruise tourists in 2014 and the numbers are expected to cross 600,000 this year with more vessels sailing into UAE waters.”
Maj Gen Al Merri said that in 1998 only 10,000 cruise tourists came to Dubai. In 2014, there were ship movements in Dubai ports, including arrivals and departures, an increase of 14 per cent over 2013. In the 2013-14 period, there were tourist arrivals and
departures compared with arrivals and departures in the 2012-13 period. Tourist arrivals and departures are expected to reach the end of the current season, a 13 per cent increase over 2014. Dubai is expected to receive cruise tourists by 2016 with new cruise liners coming to the region. In 2014, there were ordinary passenger arrivals and departures at the ports compared with arrivals and departures in 2013. In 2014, Jebel Ali port handled arrivals and departures, Port Rashid handled 83,977, Dry Docks handled 16,627, Hamriya port handled 87,502 and Al Shindagha Port handled 119,385.
“Now, we have more than half a million cruise tourists coming in during the tourist season in Dubai, which begins
at in October and ends in July of each year.”
Col Hussain Ebrahim, Assistant to the Director-General for sea and land ports at the GDRFA-Dubai, said that there are six seaports in Dubai — Jebel Ali Port, Port Rashid, Al Shindagha Port, Al Hamriya Port, the Dry Dock Port and the Creek.
“The GDRFA offers different kinds of services in these ports such as the registration of ships and sailors, issuing visas to tourists and more. Due to the fact that Dubai airport offers flights across the world and the unique services offered by all Dubai airports, most of the shipping and tourist companies prefer to come via Dubai seaports,” he said.
Easing entry procedures
Col Hussain said some vessels which arrive at Dubai seaports have to rotate their crews, which means sailors leave via Dubai airport and others join.
Col Hussain said that next year the number of cruise tourists is expected to rise because the number of cruise ships has increased to up to four ships per day during the season. Most of the cruise ships come from Europe.
“In order to facilitate and speed up the procedures, we check the names and documents before the arrival of the ship which allows easy passage for the tourists without stopping and without the need for any processes inside the port.”
The multiple-entry visas to cruise passengers have also boosted the sector, he said.