Sharjah authorities say that the number of international cruise tourists arriving in the emirate will increase by 50% in the next two years.
This year alone, the port of Korfakkan will receive more than 40 cruise liners with 130,000 passengers on board, said His Excellency Muhammad Ali Al Noman, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority, SCTDA. "Over the next season, the port of Korfakkan, serving 23 cruise lines and 67 thousand passengers in 2011-2012, will receive two ships a week, as opposed to only one last season," he said.
Some liners have already confirmed their stops at the port of Korfakkan, including Costa Atlantica, Costa Classica, Costa NeoRomantica, Seabourne Pride and Seabourne Odyssey. Negotiations are underway with major operators TUI Cruises and Royal Caribbean. The head of the department welcomed the positive changes in the development of cruise tourism in the emirate and noted that in recent years, Sharjah, which receives more and more European tourists every year, expects a significant increase in interest in its east coast.
"We try to give it an international sound and attract as many foreign guests as possible through special events and festivals. We very successfully held the H20 Nations Cup Powerboat Championship in March. The increased interest in the east coast is consistent with the emirate’s development strategy and our efforts to support the local economy, "Al Noman said, adding that the emirate’s authorities are actively developing the coastal and port areas and developing tourist infrastructure on the coast.
Last year, Sharjah was visited by more than 1.5 million international guests. It is expected that this year a significant increase in tourist flow will be recorded. “Due to its strategic position overlooking the Omani and Persian Gulfs and the natural beauty of the east, the east coast of Sharjah is an ideal destination for premium cruises. Our emirate is the only one with ports on two shores at once,” the head of the department emphasized.
It is worth noting that Sharjah remains the "home" for the country's three deep-sea harbors - Korfakkan, Port Khalid and Hamria. At the same time, the cruise tourism sector in the Middle East remains promising and fast-growing, which is why the authorities of the emirates of Sharjah, Dubai and Abu Dhabi are investing heavily in the development of relevant infrastructure and services. The first major operator to start cruising in the Gulf was Costa Cruises.
