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The Kerala government has announced the launch of cruise tourism connecting major coastal tourist destinations in Kerala with Mangaluru and Goa. The proposed cruise tourism will connect Kovalam, Kollam, Kochi and Beypore in Kerala to Mangaluru (Karnataka) and Goa.
The state government has allotted Rs 5 crores for the project based on a draft policy on cruise tourism by the director of tourism. An expert committee with the Principal Secretary of the tourism department as the Chairman was tasked to submit an amended draft cruise policy after discussions with stakeholders. The expert committee will have the Director of Tourism as the Convener, an official from the Kerala Inland Shipping and Navigation department and an official from the Ports department or Kerala Maritime Board as members.
Three Cruise Ships berth at Kochi
Three cruise ships - The World, Artania, and Le Champlain - called at the Kochi port, bringing a total of 781 tourists and 860 crew members.
The vessels anchored at Sagarika, the first full-fledged international cruise terminal in India that started in 2021. Kochi is the only port in India to have two world-class cruise terminals. They are named Samudrika and Sagarika.
A majority of the travellers went on to explore tourist locales in Kochi city, West Kochi Fort Kochi, and the Alappuzha backwaters. The guests who opted for the backwater cruise in houseboats had lunch on board. A group visited Kumbalangi - India’s first model tourism village - and experienced ethnic activities including pottery and fishing.
33 Vessels scheduled at Kochi this Season
The number of cruise ships that called at Kochi during the current fiscal reached 23 (including 13 domestic cruise vessels) as per the figures till January 17, 2023. The vessels brought in a total of 40,410 guests, including 29,878 tourists and 10,532 crew members. During the November 2022-May 2023 season, a total of 33 cruise vessels were scheduled to berth at Kochi.
‘Kochi Haat’ to come up soon
To provide a new shopping experience for cruise passengers, an experience zone named ‘Kochi Haat’ - modelled on ‘Delhi Haat’ - will be set up at 71.50 cents opposite the cruise terminal. This will be a platform for local artisans and vendors to sell handicrafts, ethnic and Ayurveda products, apparel, and spices and other authentic products.
