Sharjah expects over 130000 cruise passengers

Sharjah looks forward to a new and exciting season of international luxury cruises as the first of major cruiseliners, Costa Neoromantica, docked on Saturday at the Khor Fakkan port on the East Coast with 927 passengers onboard. The second one, another Costa Neoromantica ship, will be arriving on Oct.12. A total number of 40 international luxury cruiseliners are scheduled to arrive on the picturesque East Coast during the 2012-2013 season, or from now and between April 8, 2013, with approximately 130,000 passengers registering a nearly 50 per cent increase over last year, said Mohamed Ali Al Noman, Chairman of the Sharjah Commerce and Tourism Development Authority (SCTDA). Last year the Khor Fakkan port had hosted 23 luxury cruiseliners with more than 67,000 passengers on board. International cruiseliners to visit Sharjah this season include Costa Neoromantica, Costa Classica, Costa Atlantica, Costa Seabourn Odyssey and Costa Seabourn Pride. “The government of Sharjah has been making constant efforts to attract local and international travellers and investors,” stressed the SCTDA Chairman. He said that the emirate’s leadership is keen to exploit the immense potential of the magnificent East Coast and the SCTDA is working with the tourism industry and other players on this front. From gulftoday