Qatar Tourism conducts field visit to Barcelona Port for exchange of experiences and international best practices 

A Qatari delegation, comprising of representatives from Qatar Tourism (QT); the Permanent Committee for the Management of Maritime Ports, Mwani; and the General Authority of Customs recently conducted an official field visit to the tourist port of Barcelona, Spain.

During the visit, members of the Qatari delegation met with management officials of the Spanish port to learn about best practices, workflow mechanisms, services provided to visitors, cruise arrivals, as well as port security and safety systems.

The three-day visit is part of efforts aimed at supporting cruise tourism in Qatar. It focuses on exchanging expertise and experiences, as well as enhancing the operational processes and logistical services necessary for the sector’s growth in the country.

The first day of the visit focused on exploring the cruise ship terminal and ships, where the Qatari delegation met with Spanish port officials to learn about operational systems, workload, and tourism activity levels at the port.

A portion of the programme was centered around reviewing modern security measures, co-ordination between various port authorities (such as passports, customs, administration, and security), ship reservation procedures, and priority determination processes.

A joint workshop at the Port brought together members of the Qatari delegation and Barcelona Port officials. The workshop provided insights into passenger entry and exit systems, as well as innovative solutions aimed at managing tourist flows effectively at one of Spain’s prominent landmarks. A comparison was also made between the procedures and efficiency of the Spanish Port and Doha Port.

In a press statement, Omar al-Jaber, acting chief of Tourism Development Sector at QT, said: “The State of Qatar has emerged as a leading global destination for cruise tourism, featuring prominently on popular cruise itineraries in the region.

The significant growth in Qatar’s cruise tourism sector is a testament to the constructive co-operation and ongoing coordination with our partners. The recently concluded 2023-2024 cruise season was a resounding success in terms of both cruise ship visits and total visitor numbers.

He added: “Our visit to Barcelona Port was aimed at gaining insights into the latest systems and services for enhancing the tourism experience for visitors arriving at Doha Port. This aligns with our commitment to continuously improve and innovate in order to offer memorable experiences to tourists visiting Qatar.”

Doha Port evolved into a pivotal departure and return point for numerous international cruise ships, especially following its extensive development in recent years. This transformation included the establishment of a major passenger reception facility, enabling it to accommodate two large ships simultaneously and handle approximately 12,000 people daily.

The cruise sector has become a crucial component of QT’s strategy, consistently achieving robust growth rates in recent years. During the 2023-2024 season alone, Doha Port welcomed 73 ships.