As
international interest in Sharjah grows, the emirate's charming East
Coast is set to see nearly 50 per cent increase in the arrivals of
international luxury cruise passengers during the upcoming 2012-2013
season.
This
year the Khor Fakkan Port will host more than 40 international luxury
cruiseliners with approximately 130,000 passengers, said HE Mohamed
Ali Al Noman, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism
Development Authority. “So during the upcoming season, the Khor
Fakkan Port, which hosted 23 luxury cruiseliners with more than
67,000 passengers onboard during the 2011-12 season, will receive
two cruise
shipsa week as against just one weekly call in the last
season,” he added.
Some
of the cruise ships that have confirmed their calls at Khor
Fakkan Port include Costa Atlantica (17 calls), Costa Classica (16
calls), Costa neoRomantica (4 calls), Seabourne Pride (one call) and
Seabourne Odyssey (two calls.) TUI Cruises and Royal
Caribbean, who are in negotiations with the Khor Fakkan
Port Authority, are likely to come onboard soon.
Hailing
the increase in international luxury cruise calls, the SCTDA Chairman
said that the emirate, which has been attracting an increasing number
of European tourists in recent years, is looking
forward to more international visitors to its East
Coast.
“We
have been trying to turn international focus on Sharjah’s
magnificent East Coast and attract more international visitors with
special events and festivals. We hosted a very successful H20 Nations
Cup Powerboat Championship in March. So this increased attention on
Sharjah and the East Coast by international luxury cruise passengers
is indeed a welcome development and goes well with our strategy. More
important, it will strengthen the local economy,” said Al Noman
pointing out that the emirate was keen to develop the tourism
infrastructure and facilities on the East Coast to attract more
international tourists.
Last
year more than 1.5 million tourists visited Sharjah. The number is
expected to be significantly higher this year. “Thanks to its
strategic location overlooking both the Gulf of Oman and Arabian Gulf
Coast and the natural splendour of the East Coast, Sharjah makes for
an ideal destination for luxury cruiseliners. Ours is the only
emirate that has ports on both coasts,” emphasised Al Noman.
Sharjah
is home to three of the finest deep water harbours in the country,
the other two being Khalid Port and Hamriyah. The location of
Sharjah’s ports offers strategic advantage to ships and major
cruiseliners.
The
cruise tourism sector in the Middle East has been growing at a
remarkable pace seeing a steady increase in passengers. Countries in
the region are increasingly investing to support cruise tourism
facilities and services. The UAE has been eyeing a major slice of
this market as Abu Dhabi, Sharjah and Dubai all attract big players
of the industry. Costa Cruises was the first major cruise-liner to
introduce Gulf itineraries.