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Indian cruise market can grow tenfold in a decade: Sonowal
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SME Times News Bureau | 14 May, 2022
Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday said here that
the Indian cruise market has a potential to grow 10-fold in the next 10
years, driven by rising demands and increased disposable incomes.
"The government realises this potential and is determined to
position India as a global crise hub with top-class infrastructure for
both ocean and river cruises," he said after inaugurating the 1st
Incredible India International Cruise Conference-2022.
Describing
India as a "magnificent cruise destination", the minister said many
attractions on the 7,500-km long coastline and vast river systems are
yet to be unveiled to the world.
"Global players have evinced a
keen interest in promoting cruise tourism in India, and with the
development of right infrastructure coupled with adoption of modern
technology, India will certainly become one of the top tourism
destinations in the world," he said
Sonowal said a Task Force
comprising national and international experts has been set up to enable
an eco-system conducive to the development of cruise tourism in the
country.
Citing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, he said
transformation is possible through transportation for which technology
needs to be leveraged and a port-led development can help develop a
comprehensive ecosystem for both transport, tourism and cruise tourism.
Minister
of State for Shipping Shripad Naik said that four theme-based coastal
destinations circuits have been developed to activate the demand for
cruises - Gujarat Pilgrimage Tours, West Coast-Cultural and Scenic
Tours, South Coast-Ayurvedic Wellness Tours, and East Coast-Heritage
Tours.
Besides, Naik said lighthouse and island tourism
development is also underway to attract the coastal tourists and inland
or river cruises are being explored.
Shipping Secretary Sanjiv
Ranjan said that post-pandemic, the country's tourism sector is growing
with resurgence and cruise tourism alone has notched a 35 percent y-o-y
growth, and now a Maritime Vision Document-2030 is ready and focussing
on various aspects of cruise tours.
India aims at increasing
cruise passenger traffic from 400,000 to 40,00,000 and its economic
potential is slated to shoot up from $110 million to $5.5 billion in the
coming years.
The government has taken several initiatives
including infrastructure upgradation, rationalisation of port fees,
removing ousting charges, granting priority berthing to cruise ships,
providing e-visa facilities etc, to boost cruise tourism.
Upgradation
and modernisation is going on at 7 major ports like Goa, New Mangalore,
Kochi, Chennai, Visakhapatnam, and Kolkata besides the flagship New
International Cruise Terminal coming up in Mumbai at a cost of Rs 495
crore, which is likely to be ready in next 25 months (July 2024), with a
capacity to handle 200 ships and 10-lakh passengers annually.
Over
300 delegates comprising Indian and international stakeholders,
investors, government officials and experts are attending the two-day
conference.
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