Tourism Breaking News
The 2024/2025 cruise season witnessed 360,000 cruise visitors, reception of 87 ships, achieving a growth of 19% compared to the previous season, including 5 additional cruise ships that made their first trips to Doha Port, and 13 departure and return flights. Partial shift passengers – starting or ending their journey in Qatar – accounted for more than 10 per cent of total visitors, reflecting the country’s position as a major hub for cruise tourism in the region. Qatar Tourism and Mwani Qatar organized a closing event at Doha Old Port, celebrating the successes of the 2024/2025 cruise season, in recognition of partners and contributors in this vital sector. The event was attended by officials from Qatar Tourism and Mwani Qatar, as well as strategic partners from the public and private sectors in the marine tourism sector and media representatives. This honor comes in recognition of the fruitful cooperation between government agencies and private sector partners, which contributed to achieving an exceptional season that strengthened Qatar’s position as a prominent destination on the marine tourism map in the region and the world..
Omar Al Jaber, Head of Tourism Development at Qatar Tourism, said: “During the 2024/2025 cruise season, the focus was on targeting total and partial transformation flights, with Doha being the main destination for its flights in the region, with 13 full transformation flights and 43 partial transformation trips. This is only the beginning of further cooperation and strategic partnerships with international cruise ship operators.
He added: “During this season, we were keen to provide an integrated experience for visitors, which began before their arrival at Doha Port by promoting Qatar as a distinctive destination for marine tourism, and continued from the moment of reception at Doha Port until their departure. I can only emphasize the vital role of private sector partners, service providers, experiences and tourism agents, who have contributed to providing a high-end tourism experience for Qatar’s guests. ”
Captain Hussain Ahmed Al Muqaif, Executive Vice President of Commercial Affairs at Mwani Qatar, commented: “The success of the cruise season 2024/2025 is an important milestone in our journey towards establishing Qatar as a leading regional hub for cruise tourism. This achievement is the result of close cooperation between various stakeholders, as the advanced infrastructure of Mwani Qatar’s cruise terminal, and integrated coordination with our partners from the public and private sectors, contributed to attracting 87 cruises with more than 360,000 visitors, a growth of 19% in the number of voyages .
He added: “The tourist season has witnessed a remarkable diversity in the international marine lines anchored, as the terminal received cruises for up to 11 shipping lines, and 5 cruise ships launched their first trips to Qatar during the tourist season, which reflects the confidence of international companies in the advanced infrastructure and integrated services provided by the terminal.”.
“We look forward to continuing this momentum in the coming seasons by attracting more international shipping routes and continuing to improve the visitor experience, in line with the objectives of the Qatar National Vision 2030, and enhancing the contribution of the tourism sector to the national economy.”
The 2025/2026 cruise season is expected to witness continuous growth, with about 130 cruise ships, including more than 5 first visits, and the number of expected visitors estimated at more than 450,000 visitors..
These indicators reflect the continued momentum in the sector and reinforce Doha Port’s role as a major cruise hub in the region. It also affirms the commitment of various stakeholders to develop the tourism experience, support investments in this sector, and expand partnerships with the private sector, thus contributing to building an integrated and sustainable tourism system. .
At the end of the event, a number of partners and supporters were honored for their active contribution to the success of the season, amid a joint affirmationby BN Qatar Tourism and Mwani Qatar to continue integrated work to attract more cruise ships and visitors, in line with Qatar’s ambitions in the marine tourism sector.
