Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) has forecast a 59 percent growth in cruise passenger arrivals in the 2009-10 season, WAM news agency reported Thursday. Forecasts by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), which manages the emirate's tourism industry, showed about 200,000 arrivals in the season, which will run from the end of November to the beginning of May 2010, as compared to 125,200 passenger arrivals in the previous season. “The forecast is based on the 100 percent occupancy level achieved by the cruise ships using Abu Dhabi as a port of call last season,” said Ahmed Hussein, deputy director general, ADTA, in a press statement issued Thursday. “The increase is due to the inclusion of Abu Dhabi in Royal Caribbean International's weekly itinerary and the fact that Costa Cruises is to boost its service to the UAE capital by introducing larger, brand new vessels with increased passenger capacity, “he added.
