Lack of basic infrastructure facilities in the Vizhinjam harbour continues to be a major hurdle for the luxury cruise liners arriving here with holidayers from world over.
Unhygienic surroundings, lack of toilet facilities, overcrowded fishing boats and catamarans, and hostile local people greet foreign tourists disembarking here. The shore party, of the MS Artania that arrived here with 650 tourists, had to struggle to ensure that holidayers disembark safely from the small vessel that ferried them. The shore party reached the wharf to set up a makeshift step and platform so that the tourists could disembark safely. Majority of the tourists were senior citizens. But, this did not work out as planned and twice, the disembarking point on the wharf had to be changed.
The Customs and Immigration authorities and other agencies had to depend on the small boats provided by the luxury liner to reach the vessel that was anchored off the harbour.
Poor approach road
There is not even a good approach road to the wharf at present.
Both the sides of the nearly one-km winding road from Vizhinjam are dumped with fishing gear, and reaching the wharf is a herculean task for motorists.
Absence of communication facilities, and lack of chairs for the tourists to wait are the other hurdles facing the tourists here. On Monday, the shore party raised to the occasion to put up a temporary roof when the temperature went up and tourists showed fatigue.
Local handlers of the event also had to struggle to ensure that all went on smoothly and the tourists were not affected by the lack of basic facilities.
Big cruise liners cannot berth at the wharf, as it could accommodate only vessels up to a length of 80 metres. Close proximity of Vizhinjam to Colombo and international waterway offers immense scope for cruise tourism. The stake-holders of the industry are now looking at the proposed cruise terminal as part of the Vizhinjam deepwater seaport project.
