Costa's flagship Costa Toscana arrived at Doha Port (Qatar) on Sunday, January 15th, as a part of her first maiden tour of the Arabian Gulf.
Offering 3- to 7-day itineraries around the region, the liner can accommodate ~6500 passengers and features 13 restaurants, 13 swimming pools and hot tubs, a waterpark, and 19 entertainment lounges.
Toscana debuted as part of Qatar Tourism’s 2022-2023 cruise season, which commenced in December 2022 with the arrival of Ponant's Le Bougainville, and runs to April 2023. This season will see a total of 58 world-class liners and 4 maiden calls make their way to the country.
According to Maryam Saoud, Head of Tourism Product Support at Qatar Tourism, their cruise season was off to a solid start with the latest expansion in their portfolio of cruise liners a testimony to their growth and diversification.
"This is also an LNG-powered cruise ship to Qatar, which highlights our commitment to sustainability in the development of the cruise sector. We look forward to welcoming thousands of visitors and delighting them with the warmth, hospitality and range of experiences Qatar has to offer.”
The cruise sector of Qatar, which was established back in 2016, has helped position the country as a popular destination for maritime tourism. The growth of the industry supports the economy through increased tourist spending, business opportunities, and employment.
Since its return in 2021-2022, the industry has driven significant growth to the tourism sector of Qatar. In December 2022, the port of Doha Port welcomed ~8,000 visitors, mostly from Italy and Russia. The 2021-2022 cruise season welcomed ~100,500 passengers.
Qatar’s new Grand Terminal is expected to accommodate up to 12,000 people per day. Its strategic location in the heart of Doha makes the port minutes away from some of the most popular attractions in the city, such as the National Museum of Qatar, Doha Corniche, and Souq Waqif.