Gulf Cruise Vacations Stopping Middle East Trips
The cost of cruise vacations in the Middle East could be dropping significantly if Gulf tourism authorities are successful in lobbying for a new visa. The Gulf is a cruise tourism hotspot that is rapidly growing in popularity for Middle East trips, but currently some passengers aboard these cruises must apply for a visa for every port stop they wish to take, at a cost of up to $50 per stop. Tourists from Russia and China, for example, end up paying as much as $600 in additional fees for a family of four.
The Abu Dhabi Tourist Authority is looking to reduce these costs by creating a special cruise visa. This should further boost the already booming cruise industry in the region, where Abu Dhabi and Dubai are especially popular ports of call. Both cities are boosting tourist infrastructure as quickly as possible to meet the demand at their ports, which are still geared up mainly for cargo ships.
June 19, 2011 4:55 am 
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