“In 2019, more than 400 cruise ships came to our shores, serving four lakh cruise passengers.”
“In 2019, more than 400 cruise ships came to our shores, serving four lakh cruise passengers.”
The Indian cruise market has the potential to grow 10-fold over the next decade, driven by increasing demand and disposable income among Indians, said Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, and AYUSH, Government of India , at a virtual press conference .
He announced the upcoming 1st Incredible India International Cruise Conference 2022 which will be physically held in Mumbai on May 14-15.
“The Indian cruise market has the potential to grow 10-fold in the next decade,” said the minister, adding, “The Sagarmala Initiative connects the ports of Chennai, Vizag and Andaman with Goa, which receive a maximum of tourists “.
“The International Cruise Tourism Conference aims to showcase India as a desirable destination for cruise passengers, highlight regional ties and disseminate information on India’s readiness to develop the cruise tourism sector,” he said.
Sanjeev Ranjan, secretary of the Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said by the time the COVID pandemic hit, cruise tourism had grown by 35% year-on-year.
“In 2019, more than 400 cruise ships came to our shores, serving four lakh cruise passengers,” he said.
He added that despite the COVID backlash, India’s ports have been able to build the infrastructure needed to facilitate the landing of cruise passengers over the past two years.
Rajiv Jalota, Chairman of the Ports of Mumbai Authority, said: “With this initiative, we aim to promote cruise tourism and attract tourists with special interests. Mumbai was the cruise capital of India and was seeing a sustained surge in cruise passenger and cruise ship growth prior to the pandemic.”
Sanjay Bandopadhyay, Chairman of the Inland Waterways Authority of India said: “This conference will attract more global players and will include all global cruise tourism operators. River tourism is one of the fastest growing sectors.”
The conference aims to position India as a global cruise hub and showcase business and investment opportunities in the cruise tourism sector.
The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, the Government of India, the Ports Authority of Mumbai and the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) are organizing the two-day event.
