Bangkok--Sep 30--eTurboNews
MUMBAI (Khaleej Times Online)- The Indian government is formulating a comprehensive policy on cruise tourism, which envisages the setting up of a string of six major cruise terminals along both coasts, and liberalizing the rules further.
Rani Jadhav, chairperson, Mumbai Port Trust (MPT), told reporters here yesterday that plans are on for a new cruise terminal in Mumbai, besides setting up new ones in Goa, New Mangalore, Kochi, Chennai and Tuticorin. A committee was also studying how to relax the norms for both domestic and international cruises.
Jadhav launched the maiden voyage of SuperStar Libra, a 42,000-grt, cruise vessel, owned by Star Cruises, Asia's largest cruise operator, and the world's third largest, which is being homeported in Mumbai. This is the first time that an international cruise ship is being homeported in an Indian port.
According to Jadhav, the Indian government has already relaxed rules relating to international cruises, by providing temporary landing permits to foreigners on arrival, and allowing advance declaration of goods attracting customs duties. Port charges have also been lowered for cuise lines.
Chong Chee-Tut, the chief operating officer, Star Cruises, said the new service was not a 'six-star product,' but was targeted at the mass market. While initially the service - which will be operated on the Mumbai-Lakshadweep-Goa sector - would be focused on the domestic market, gradually about 10 to 20 percent of the travellers would be from the overseas market, including the Gulf.
"The increasing number of air connections between Mumbai and other countries will serve as an important catalyst to develop the fly-cruise traffic into India," said Chong. "It is such developments and trends in the global travel and aviation industry that will provide the stimulus for India to become a regional cruise destination and Mumbai to be an important air-sea cruise hub in South Asia."
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