A Qatari delegation, including representatives from Qatar Tourism, the Permanent Committee for the Management of Seaports and Qatar Ports, and the General Authority of Customs, recently paid an official field visit to the Barcelona Port in Spain. Members of the Qatari delegation met with the administration officials at the Spanish port and were briefed on best practices, workflow mechanisms, services provided to visitors arriving on cruises, and security and safety systems at the port.
This three-day visit comes within the framework of efforts aimed at supporting the cruise tourism sector in Qatar, exchanging expertise and experiences, and enhancing the operational processes and logistics services required by the growing cruise tourism sector in Qatar.
During the visit, the delegation discovered the terminal for cruise ships and steamers, where the delegation members met with Spanish port officials and learned about the systems in place, the volume of work, and the levels of tourist activity witnessed by the port. Part of the visit program was devoted to learning about the modern security and control measures and systems applied, and the coordination mechanisms between the various entities working in the port, such as passports, customs, administration, and security, and the procedures followed for ship reservations and how to determine priorities.
The visit also included a joint workshop held at the port, bringing together members of the Qatari delegation and officials from the Port of Barcelona, during which they learned about the passenger entry and exit systems, as well as the integrated and innovative solutions used to overcome the problems that may face tourist flows at the port, which is one of the most prominent landmarks of the Spanish city. The workshop also included a comparison between the Spanish port and the Doha port in terms of the procedures applied and their efficiency and effectiveness.
Commenting on the visit, Mr. Omar Al Jaber, Acting Chief Tourism Development Officer at Qatar Tourism, said: “Qatar is now a leading global cruise destination and a key stop on the most popular cruise routes in the region. The current significant growth witnessed by Qatar’s cruise tourism sector is undoubtedly the result of constructive cooperation and continuous coordination with various partners and stakeholders. We are very pleased with the growth and momentum witnessed by the cruise sector year after year. About two months ago, we concluded the 2023-2024 cruise season, which was successful by all standards, whether in terms of the number of cruise ships or the total number of visitors. This visit to Barcelona Port comes within the framework of learning about the latest systems and services provided to cruise passengers in order to enhance the tourism experience for visitors to Qatar at Doha Port.”
Doha Port has become a departure and return point for many international cruise ships, especially after the comprehensive development process it underwent during the past few years, which included the establishment of a major passenger reception station. It can now receive two giant ships at the same time and about 12,000 people per day.
The cruise tourism sector currently represents a vital element within the tourism strategy implemented by Qatar Tourism, as it continued to record strong growth rates over the past years, while it received 73 ships during the 2023-2024 season.
