Chennai, Goa and Kochi have been identified as ports with the biggest potential for developing cruise tourism in the country and are likely to get additional facilities like dedicated cruise jetties.
The suggestion came up at the Union Shipping Ministry's Parliamentary Consultative Committee meeting on Cruise Tourism held here on Friday.
Sources told The Hindu that the meeting discussed cruise tourism scenario in the country in the context of the cruise shipping policy adopted in 2007 and looked at the possibilities of providing additional facilities to boost cruise shipping.
Union Minister for Shipping G.K. Vasan, who inaugurated the meeting, told the Consultative Committee that his Ministry was looking to leverage a scheme for large revenue generation projects offered by the Tourism Ministry to develop cruise tourism amenities in Kochi and Mormugao.
Projects in Kochi and Mormugao are being examined for approval for grant of assistance by the Ministry of Tourism under a scheme, which provides up to Rs. 50 crore subject to a maximum of 25 per cent of the project cost or 50 per cent of the equity contribution of the promoter, whichever was lower.
He said that the saturation in traditional cruise destinations in the Caribbean and Mediterranean opened up a big opportunity for India to position itself as the new cruise destination of the world.
The Minister said that promoting cruise shipping called for “special marketing strategy and focus” as he said: “Despite inherent advantages and tremendous potential of the cruise shipping sector, the country has not witnessed worthwhile growth as compared to the growth witnessed in Latin America and South East Asia.”
He assured the committee that the government was addressing all issues related to the development of cruise shipping, including development of infrastructure like cruise terminals; providing financial incentives and reducing tax burdens; and establishing an institutional framework for holistic development of cruise shipping.
The meeting of the Consultative Committee was held on board a cruise ship anchored off Kochi.
