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Cruise Tourism
India has the potential to become a powerhouse in ocean and river cruise tourism, even as volatility of airfares and infrastructural gaps like limited availability of quality hotels pose challenges for the domestic market, Thomas Cook India Managing Director and CEO Mahesh Iyer said. In an interview with PTI, he highlighted that cruise holidays have emerged as a highly viable travel option by eliminating the complexities of multiple visas, offering seamless travel between destinations and an all-inclusive proposition of accommodation, dining, entertainment and sightseeing in one experience. "With government initiatives like the Cruise Bharat Mission and Maritime India Vision 2030, we foresee positive growth and expansion in this segment," the Thomas Cook India MD and CEO said. Further, outlining obstacles for the country's travel and tourism sector, he said challenges include infrastructural gaps like limited availability of quality hotels, particularly in the 3-star plus range, whi
With the BJP government in Delhi focusing on the rejuvenation of the Yamuna, plans are afoot to start a cruise service in the river, between Sonia Vihar and Jagatpur, for tourism purposes, officials said on Saturday. Under the plan, a six-km stretch of the Yamuna is to be developed from the Wazirabad barrage (Sonia Vihar) to Jagatpur (Shani temple) for cruise operations for tourists, they said. The Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC) issued a request for quotation (RFQ) on Friday for engaging a suitable operator to run two solar or electric battery-powered cruises on the identified river stretch. When developed, this shall boost river-cruise tourism as it will be an environment-friendly and sustainable water-transport project with coordinated efforts of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI), Delhi Development Authority (DDA), Delhi Jal Board (DJB), DTTDC and the irrigation and flood control department, the proposal document said. The DTTDC will enga
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Monday launched 'Cruise Bharat Mission' from the Mumbai port, aimed at boosting the potential of cruise tourism in the country and doubling of cruise passenger traffic by 2029, according to an official release. The mission, which also aims to excel India's vision to become a global hub for cruise tourism and promote the country as the leading global cruise destination, targets three key cruise segments -- the ocean and harbour, river, inland and island. It will be implemented in three phases, beginning October 1, the release said, adding that it will continue till March 31, 2029. Launching the mission on board cruise ship "Empress," Sonowal, who is the Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, said, "the 'Cruise Bharat Mission' is a watershed moment in the revamp of the cruise sector of India." Stating that the government is committed to harnessing the tremendous potential of the Blue Economy of India, Sonowal said that cruise, with its ...
The world's largest cruise ship is set to begin its maiden voyage Saturday as it gets underway from the Port of Miami. Royal Caribbean's Icon of the Seas, which runs nearly 1,200 feet (365 meters) from bow to stern, is leaving South Florida for its first seven-day island-hopping voyage through the tropics. The ship was officially christened Tuesday with help from soccer legend Lionel Messi and his Inter Miami teammates. Icon of the Seas is the culmination of more than 50 years of dreaming, innovating and living our mission to deliver the world's best vacation experiences responsibly," Royal Caribbean Group President and CEO Jason Liberty said earlier this week. She is the ultimate multigenerational family vacation, forever changing the status quo in family travel and fulfilling vacation dreams for all ages on board. When the Icon of the Seas was first revealed in October 2022, the ship spurred the single largest booking day and the highest volume booking week in Royal Caribbean's .
Global Maritime India Summit, which the country hosted last week for the third time in last seven years, will add more dimensions to the sector's growth, which is already on an upswing since 2014, Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal has said. Sonowal, who is the Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways, also expressed hope that India will become a global leader in cruise tourism soon given the ecosystem created by the government. India successfully hosted the third edition of the mega maritime event in the financial capital from October 17-19, with the summit attracting investment proposals worth Rs 10-lakh crore by way of 360 initial pacts reached between various companies both from the private and public sectors. I believe this particular global summit is going to add more dimensions to our growth (of the sector). The transportation sector in the last nine-and-a-half years has seen transformation, which is visible also because of the growth, Sonowal told PTI in an interaction. Th
Union Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Saturday said the government has set up a high-level committee to create an enabling ecosystem for the development of cruise tourism in the country. The committee comprises government officials and cruise industry players. Sonowal on Saturday inaugurated the first two-day India International Cruise Conference being organised here by the Ministry of Shipping, Ports and Waterways in association with industry body Ficci. The Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways and his deputy Shripad Naik virtually laid the foundation stone for the third Chemical berth at Pir Pau Jetty and remotely inaugurated Kelshi Lighthouse in the Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra and Dhanushya Kodi Light House in Tamilnadu. Speaking to the media on the sidelines of the event, the minister said the government aims to make India the most attractive cruise tourism destination and the industry the world's largest one in the world. Sonowal also informed that the government h