Khobar Group with Tavel trade and Media The Ministry of Tourism Oman (Oman Tourism), Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM) have announced a partnership to promote cruise tourism in the GCC.
The partnership was launched with a Cruise Gulf Road Show which took place from 25th November to 3rd December 2013, touring several cities in the GCC, with the objectives of increasing the number of residents in the region who consider cruise as a holiday option; increasing the awareness of the Gulf as a cruise tourism destination; and to train and motivate regional travel trade agents to sell cruises in the Gulf sailing out of Dubai.
Dubai is the cruise hub of the region, with state-of-the-art infrastructure and services, including the largest cruise facility in the Middle East - which is set to be bolstered further by a substantial expansion in the 2013-2014 season. The Emirate has been the home port for the world’s leading cruise lines such as Costa, Aida, Royal Caribbean, TUI and MSC Cruises. Costa, Aida and MSC has confirmed gulf cruise itineraries out of Dubai for 2013/2014 season. The port of Oman and Abu Dhabi are a vital part of these itineraries.
His Excellency Helal Saeed Almarri, Director General of Dubai’s Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), said: "The Cruise Gulf Road Show presents a tremendous opportunity to demonstrate the continued growth and success of Dubai's cruise tourism industry and to join with our partners from  Oman  and Abu Dhabi cruise industries to promote the Gulf as an attractive cruising destination. Following significant investment in infrastructure for cruise tourism across the region, the Middle East is increasingly recognized as a key growth market for the cruise industry and by working closely with our partners from Oman and Abu Dhabi we can contribute to this growth.”
The delegation comprised of the representatives from the three tourism authorities and Cruise line Costa and MSC visited a number of GCC neighbors over the six day roadshow, targeting an overall audience of 400-450 leading travel agents and other key stakeholders. The roadshow arrived in Kuwait on Monday 25th November, followed by Bahrain on the 26th and Qatar on the 27th. It then traveled to Saudi Arabia from 1-3 December, spending a single day each in Jeddah, Riyadh and Al Khobar. On each occasion, speeches and presentations by Oman Tourism, TCA Abu Dhabi and DTCM, were followed by presentations by MSC and Costa Cruises, a question and answer session, and a dinner for attendees.
Salim Al Mamari, Director General of Tourism Development, Oman Ministry of Tourism, said, “These are truly exciting times for the GCC region's tourism industry, particularly across the luxury cruise segment, which has demonstrated continuous growth. In line with this, the joint venture agreement between Oman's Ministry of Tourism, the Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing in Dubai and Abu Dhabi Tourism & Culture Authority proves to be both timely and strategic as it joins hands in positioning the region as a premiere cruising destination--ultimately driving in huge economic and development opportunities for the whole GCC."