Doha, November 13 (QNA) - HE Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive Akbar Al Baker affirmed that the State of Qatar has taken significant steps to consolidate its position as a world-class destination for cruise tourism, and that the Arabian Gulf is an important gateway for it in this regard.

This came during a press conference held by Al Baker today on board the ship (floating hotel) MSC World Europa, along with CEO of MSC Cruises Gianni Onorato and Executive Chairman, Cruise Division of MSC Group Pierfrancesco Vago.

During the press conference, the details of the completely new ship were highlighted, and the experience of the first floating hotel serving the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 tournament with its creative solutions, which will provide distinguished hospitality to fans of the tournament scheduled to start on Sunday.

HE Akbar Al Baker, Chairman of Qatar Tourism and Qatar Airways Group Chief Executive, said: "While Qatar Airways is the global aviation gateway to Qatar, the marine industry is very important to tourism and the long term economic and cultural connections it brings. As sustainability is vital to the future growth of aviation, MSC World Europa illustrates how the marine industry is addressing the challenges of efficiency and emissions reductions. The naming ceremony of MSC World Europa is an important prelude to the FIFA World Cup 2022 and shows the enormous endeavor and collaboration necessary to deliver the best World Cup ever." Al Baker pointed out that the occupancy rate of Qatar Airways during the months of November and December 2022 amounted to 100 percent, noting that most of the reservations were made by fans of the tournament.

He explained that the partnership concluded with the group is important and provided more accommodation and travel options for the fans of the tournament, saying that not every passenger via marine travel lines wants to complete his journey through it, but rather wants a part of it through air travel, and therefore it is important to have a partnership with marine travel lines operators such as MSC.

Al Baker stated that the floating hotel "MSC World Europa", which arrived on Thursday at Doha Port, is one of three floating hotels designated to host fans during the World Cup, and the remaining two hotels will arrive successively.

Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman, Cruise Division of MSC Group, said: "Just like Qatar, our Group has placed climate change at the forefront of its agenda. We are committed to reaching net zero carbon from our cruise operations by 2050. MSC World Europa is our most innovative vessel. She is the world's best performing cruise ship in terms of CO2 emissions per guest. Running on LNG, the cleanest fossil fuel and, of course, Qatar's most renowned export."

Vago continued: "Over the years, we have proven our commitment to supporting Qatar's economic diversification, which is guided by Qatar National Vision 2030. And of course, to further developing Qatar's profile as a global tourism destination. Qatar has a wonderful tourism offering to meet a huge variety of interests, and an array of destinations. In 2016, our own MSC Fantasia became the first major cruise ship to call at Doha. We have been reliable partners ever since. And today, we renew our commitment to Qatar by homeporting our most modern and innovative ship in Doha."

MSC World Europa is the most innovative and environmentally advanced cruise ship in the MSC Cruises fleet. On top of ground-breaking advances in terms of reduction of emissions and energy efficiency, the LNG-powered ship also paves the way towards the uptake of carbon-neutral synthetic and other alternative fuels as soon as they are available at scale.

Spanning 22 decks, with 215,863 GT's, 47 metres wide, 40,000 m2 of public space and 2,626 cabins, MSC World Europa is an ultramodern urban metropolis at sea offering a veritable world of different experiences whilst setting a new standard for the cruise industry.

A long-standing maritime tradition, the official Naming Ceremony of the ship will take place in the presence of the Master of the Vessel, Captain Marco Massa and distinguished guests from around the world.

(QNA)