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ARABIAN GULF CRUISES: Doha Cruise Port as Regional Hub - First Season 2019/20 arrival Costa Diadema

c: Port of Doha

The Costa Cruises flagship Costa Diadema docked at Port Doha, Qata,r for the first time on Wednesday, November 27, marking the first of all 16 planned turnarounds that the liner will make during its homeporting season 2019-2020.

The emergence of Port Doha as homeport marks an important milestone in the development of Qatar's cruise shipping industry. This is the first time, tourists can start and end their trip from Doha and have the chance to enjoy country's well-known hospitality and 5-star flights before and after the voyages.

Turnaround cruises contribute significantly to the economy of the country and strengthen the tourism sector. The growth in Qatar’s cruise tourism is contributing to the economy of the country through visitor spending and cruise line spending on maintenance and port services. Thousands of business opportunities and jobs are also created.

The arrival of Costa Diadema came as a result of an agreement signed between Costa Cruises and QNTC (Qatar National Tourism Council) in September 2018 to develop the cruise industry in Qatar.

The arrival of Costa Diadema comes as a result of an agreement signed between QNTC and Costa Cruises in September last year to develop cruise tourism in Qatar, by building attractive packages and special services dedicated to Costa Cruises guests, in addition to joint communications, co-marketing actions and familiarisation trips.

Following this agreement, Costa Mediterranea also made three voyages to Qatar earlier this year. With a capacity of 4,974 passengers and over 1,200 crew members on board, Costa Diadema is the latest addition to the fleet of Costa Cruises launched in 2014 and is currently the largest vessel flying an Italian flag.

"Costa Cruises was the first cruise company in the world to start regular cruises in the Arabian Gulf back in 2006. As a pioneer in the cruise industry, it is part of Costa DNA to constantly innovate its product, offering new features and destinations with the aim to deliver guests an unforgettable cruise experience. We are glad Costa Diadema is now operating in an increasingly interesting destination such as Qatar, which has a huge potential for the cruise industry and is a strong addition to the regional itinerary," said Neil Palomba, President of Costa Cruises.

Qatar has multiple advantages that make it a perfect turnaround cruise hub.

The expanded network of Qatar Airways covering over 160 destinations worldwide provides visitors numerous options to suit the cruise itinerary (passengers from seven destinations in six countries across Europe were able to arrive in Doha this morning onboard flights landing within a span of fewer than two hours).

The passengers are further facilitated by the speedy immigration system at the five-star Hamad International Airport.

As a result of various initiatives by QNTC and its partners, Qatar's cruise industry has seen remarkable growth during the last few years. The 2018/19 season achieved 121% growth in the number of cruise passengers and 100% growth in the number of cruise ships, with over 140,000 passengers arriving aboard 44 ships, including 38 mega-ships, which typically carry between 3,000 and 4,000 passengers and crew.

The 2019/20 season is expected to be even bigger, with over 186,000 passengers and over 61,000 crew arriving on 74 ships. Five ships will make their maiden calls to Doha this season.

In addition to the 16 turnaround calls, it is also the first season where 9 ships will be staying overnight at Doha Port, giving the passengers ample time to explore the destination's offerings. 45 ships are making transit calls during this season.

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