Muscat: The Port Sultan Qaboos (PSQ) witnessed two large cruise ships docked at the same time on Thursday, giving a bustling feel to the iconic Muttrah Waterfront area, which is home to the souq, fish market, and the fort among others.
The two ships to call at the same time at the PSQ were Mein Schiff 2 and Costa Toscana, both with a combined capacity of nearly 10,000 passengers, including crew members.
A large number of tourists from the shops were seen at the local restaurants and souvenir shops.
"Unlike in the past, today's tourists are much younger and they do end up spending some money outside their tour packages. It is just window shopping as they prefer to some money on local souvenirs and cuisines," a local restaurant operator said.
The Ministry of Heritage and Tourism (MHT) was expecting the number of cruise ship passengers to be above 240,000 from over 180 ships in the 2023-24 season, much higher than the 150,000 from 81 in 2022.
MHT is conducting a study with an international company on the readiness of ports to receive more cruise ships and private yachts.
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