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Shot in the arm for cruise terminal at Kochi port

KOCHI: The financial year comes to a close with a bang for the Kochi port’s plans for setting up a world-class cruise terminal. The number of vessels calling at the port has gone up to 42 and eight more luxury liners are expected this month.

The total number of cruise liners calling at the port will go up to 50 this year, a significant improvement on the previous year’s 42. Port sources said the new financial year bode well as eight cruise liners were scheduled to call at the port in April.

Cruise liners that called at Kochi in the current year included Queen Elizabeth II, Legend of Seas, Renaissance VII and VIII and Victoria. Nautica, Pacific Princess, Star Flyer, Seabourn Spirit and Europa were among the liners that called at Kochi last year.

The latest vessel to call at the port, on Monday, was Aurora with nearly 1,750 tourists and 900 crew members. The vessel arrived from Penang and left for Mumbai the same day.

TransCare Logistics India, which prepared a ‘Business Plan for Kochi Port,’ said there were nearly 350 vessels cruising around the world and, taking their routes into consideration, 150 of them could call at Kochi during their off season.

The plan suggested that efforts should be made to attract cruise vessels “to adopt Cochin as a turnaround port or a home port.” It said the cruise business of the port should be positioned “based on the major strengths of the State of Kerala as far as tourism is concerned.”

The estimated cost of setting up the facility is Rs.55 crore. When the terminal becomes operational as projected in 2009-10, the revenue will be Rs.10.67 crore in the first year from terminal operations and vessel-related charges.

Kochi, being the closest Indian port to the international maritime route, will leverage its geographical advantage as it plans its cruise terminal. The current facilities at the port include walk-in berthing priority and 24-hour pilotage.

The Cochin Port Trust had appointed MIR Projects and Consultants and its associate, the U.S.-based TranSystems, as consultants for the international cruise terminal project last year. The consultants will evolve a business plan and submit a feasibility report for which discussions are learnt to be in their final stages.

The terminal, envisaged as a tourist-cum-public facility, is part of the ambitious National Maritime Development Programme unveiled by the Union government. The Cochin Port Trust has set aside five hectares of waterfront for the purpose.

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