Dubai tourism is growing cruising

According to statistics from the Dubai Department of Tourism and Commerce Marketing, growth of Dubai’s tourist industry is being helped in recent months by the high number of passengers visiting the city on board cruise ships.

Ships brought 26,580 tourists to Dubai in the three months from April to June. The guests were received by the Dubai Cruise Terminal operated by DTCM at Port Rashid. The cruise terminal serviced 17 ships belonging to cruise companies from all over the world.

DTCM officials have recorded a significant increase in the number of passengers traveling by sea via major cruise ships. It expects to host a total of 120 ships and over 325,000 passengers in 2010.

The expected tourist footfall is in line with the growing number of cruise ships and cruise tourists visiting Dubai; there were 250,000 tourists from 100 cruise calls in 2009, and over 182,000 from 82 calls made by cruise liners in 2008.