After experiencing a flourishing 2019 in which over 518,000 cruise visitors had poured in Abu Dhabi, the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) has recently declared that several key maritime initiatives for 2020 are in the offing that’ll further boost up the tourism sector of the country.
The initiatives comprise both the cruise and yachting sectors, in an effort to pull at least 556,000 cruise visitors and 80 superyachts in 2020. Abu Dhabi’s maritime tourism witnessed impressive growth last year resulting in a record-breaking year for the sector. The 518,000 cruise visitors who arrived at the ports of emirates all through 2019 were a 46 percent rise compared to 2018. Similarly, the number of cruise calls increased by 43 percent in 2019 to reach a total of 193.
To quote Ali Hassan Al Shaiba, acting executive director of Tourism and Marketing at DCT Abu Dhabi, “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. Working closely with our partners at Abu Dhabi Ports and the Department of Municipal Affairs and Transport, we have achieved a record-breaking number of maritime tourists for 2019. 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 unrivaled luxury and service, and encourage tourists to explore Abu Dhabi and its diverse offerings.”
An assessment of the cruise visitors found they showed a high level of satisfaction with the services of the cruise terminals at Abu Dhabi, with an 85 percent overall satisfaction level with the Sir Bani Yas terminal and 90 percent with the Zayed Port facilities.
“Abu Dhabi Cruise Terminals has helped facilitate the success of our tourism sector through its world-class facilities, quality of service, and strategic investments and partnerships with the world’s leading cruise operators,” said Noura Rashid Al Dhaheri, director of Cruise Business at Abu Dhabi Ports. “Since we welcomed the maiden call of a cruise liner to Zayed Port in 2008, all our efforts have been geared towards cementing Abu Dhabi as a regional hub on the international cruise map. At Abu Dhabi Ports, we are committed to realising the full potential of our cruise infrastructure in order to accommodate greater capacities and provide visitors with the ultimate cruise experience.”
