Qatar Tourism is working hard to establish Qatar as a leading cruise destination, with a huge spike in cruise visitors in the 2024/25 season setting it firmly on the right path.

This cruise season is shaping up to be Qatar’s biggest to date, with 430,000 passengers to set sail from Doha between November 2024 and April 2025 on a number of cruise lines – a marked increase on the 347,000 cruise visitors recorded in 2023/24.

“The growth of Qatar’s cruise sector is pivotal to achieving our National Tourism Strategy 2030,” Chairman of Qatar Tourism Saad Bin Ali Al Kharji said. “The 2024/2025 season is expected to see a 30% increase in cruise calls and 24.5% increase in visitors compared to the previous season, reflecting the growing demand for cruise vacations in the region.

“With new partnerships and an increasing number of high-profile cruise lines visiting our shores, Qatar continues to position itself as a leading destination for cruise travellers worldwide.”

The arrival of Resorts World Cruises’ Resorts World One earlier this month kicked off the new cruise season, with the vessel expected to make 23 scheduled visits with around 72,000 passengers.

Qatar Tourism said it plans to strengthen its collaborations with more international cruise lines going forward, identifying cruise as “vital” to driving further growth in tourism which is playing an important part in Qatar’s economic diversification efforts.