In a bid to boost cruise tourism, the Dubai Government has eased visa regulations for Indian tourists who book on cruise excursions.

“Dubai will now issue multiple entry visas for those taking the cruise. At $50, the visa will be valid for a month,” said Hamad M bin Mejren, Executive Director, Dubai Events and Convention Bureau.

Cruise tourists from India have been negligible so far as they needed to pay visa charges each time they re-entered the home port during the course of the cruise.

These charges, according to Mejren, often amounted to up to 30 per cent of the cruise cost. With this hurdle now removed, it would be much more economical for Indian tourists to experience this niche segment, he said.

By 2020, Dubai hopes to attract one million cruise passengers a year from across the globe, and Mejren expects India and China to become the most important source markets in the coming years. Dubai has one of largest cruise-terminal facilities in the world, where five-six ships can dock at a time. It has entered into alliances with neighbouring Muscat, Oman, Abu Dhabi, Qatar and Sharjah for the cruise tours.

Cruise costs

A seven-day cruise starts at around $450 (₹28,000) per individual, which, according the Mejren is economical as it includes dining, on-board entertainment, and access to a host of other facilities. The cruise schedule runs from mid-December to end-March 2015.

Currently, Dubai Tourism is conducting road shows in four cities — Delhi, Chennai, Bangalore and Mumbai — in partnership with cruise operators MSC, Costa and RoyalCaribbean.

The writer was in Dubai at the invitation of Dubai Tourism

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