Dubai: Cruise control

Work to build on the emirate’s reputation as a tourist destination by easing visa regulations and encouraging cruise tourism is under way but there are concerns that the European debt crisis and uncertainty regarding the global economic climate have the potential to weaken demand.

Dubai has been leading the push to streamline visa procedures for tourists visiting the UAE, promoting a plan to introduce a multiple-entry visa system in September 2012. The greatest single beneficiary of this plan, should it be adopted, will be the cruise tourism segment, one component of the industry singled out by authorities for fast-tracked development.

“The global cruise ship industry has had its difficulties of late, but here it is a growing business and one where we feel Dubai can play a larger role within the region,” Khalid Bin Sulayem, the director-general of the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing (DTCM), told OBG. “While we have already established ourselves as a hub, we realise that there are a number of things that we must focus on in order to fully capitalise on this burgeoning sector by developing our cruise ship terminal infrastructure and improving coordination with neighbouring countries.”

The current visa regime imposes extra fees and requires extensive paperwork from the visitors of 32 nations who are not permitted to get visas on arrival in the UAE, and have to get them in advance. With many cruises starting and finishing in Dubai, the present one-entry visa system means many visitors must obtain a second entry stamp before disembarking.

Having to stand in line to have additional visas stamped into their passports limits the amount of time visitors can spend ashore − a significant problem considering that most cruises only berth for one day or so at Dubai and the other emirates. By speeding up the visa process, cruise passengers will be able to visit more tourist sites and retail centres on land, thus pumping more money into the local economy.

According to Hamad bin Mejren, the executive director of the business tourism unit at the DCTM, the department is working with the federal government to implement the plan as soon as possible.

“The move would be a big boost to Dubai’s growing tourism industry. We have re-emphasised the importance of a multiple-entry UAE visa for cruise tourists to the highest levels of government,” Mejren said in a statement issued at the end of May.

For more on this Click Here

Recent Articles

Oman: Linking up the food chain
New investments in Oman’s agro-industries will not only help bolster the Sultanate’s food security and ease reliance on imports, but also have the capacity to provide increased business opportunities

Bahrain: Legal changes expected to boost property market
New incentives for property buyers could stimulate activity in the residential sector of Bahrain’s real estate market, a segment that is beginning to see signs of limited recovery.

On May

Bahrain: Legal changes expected to boost property market
New incentives for property buyers could stimulate activity in the residential sector of Bahrain’s real estate market, a segment that is beginning to see signs of limited recovery.

On May

Qatar: Expanding energy horizons
The world’s largest exporter of liquefied natural gas (LNG) is spreading its wings into energy ventures far from the vast reserves on its own doorstep. Qatar is investing in shale-related projects in

Kuwait: Upward trajectory for KSE
The Kuwait Stock Exchange (KSE) had a positive start to 2013, with the index steadily moving up to reach multi-year highs in May. While local investors are driving much of the recent activity, foreig