Qatar Tourism reported that more than 53 cruise ships visited the country throughout the initial period of 2024/2025 season bringing 191,944 cruise travelers to its coasts. The total number of cruise passengers who sailed from Doha reached 20,951 as part of this figure.
Qatar Tourism declared through a statement that the State of Qatar stands firmly established as a cruise tourism destination hub throughout the GCC region based on its exceptional mid-season cruise performance during 2024/2025 (until January 20).
Visitors from Germany were the leading travel group with 30.2 percent of arrivals and Russia came next with 10.8 percent followed by Italy with 9.2 percent. Nationalities in the top ten group constitute 69.2 percent of the overall passengers.
Read more: Qatar’s tourism revenue soars to $10.9 billion in 2024 with 38 percent spending increase
New cruise ships enhance the season and strategic vision for the future
The addition of new ships to the cruise fleet strengthens both the upcoming season and strategic planning strategies for upcoming years. Qatar Tourism declared that this season received additional momentum from four newly arrived cruise vessels visiting Doha for their maiden journey including Resorts World One and MSC Euribia and Celestyal Journey and Costa Smeralda.
Norwegian Sky will arrive at the destination for the first time on April 12, 2025. This season Costa Smeralda will sail to Doha ten times and is classed among the world’s 8th biggest cruise ships with forecasts of reaching 82,000 passengers total.
According to Chief of the Tourism Development Sector at Qatar Tourism Omar Al Jaber the remarkable expansion of Qatar’s cruise sector demonstrates our strategic planning under the National Tourism Strategy 2030.
A total of more than 30 cruise ships will arrive in Qatar by April 2025 with an estimated 185,000 visitors signifying that exceptional cruise service demand continues to rise due to strong partnerships with international cruise companies. These historical passenger numbers prove that Doha has established itself as an essential regional port for cruise vessel turnaround operations.
The development of advanced infrastructure along with enriching guest experiences will strengthen our mission to become a top cruise destination for Qatar. The national tourism strategy of Qatar features the cruise industry as its foundational element while showing remarkable industry expansion during the past years. The central position of Doha Port within the city center facilitates travelers to get the most from their limited time.
