The Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways, Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the first of its kind Incredible India International Cruise Conference on Saturday. The first international conference was held in Mumbai and delegates from various sectors attended it. Addressing the conference, the Union Minister revealed that the cruise market in India has the potential to grow 10 times over the next decade.
Talking about the reason, Sonowal said, “The Indian cruise market has the potential to grow 10 folds over the next decade, driven by rising demand and disposable incomes. The government of India realises this potential and is determined to position India as a global cruise hub with state-of-art infrastructure for both ocean and river cruises.”
India is one of the most visited tourist destinations in India and people from all over the world come here to stay and enjoy the magnificent beauty of the country. According to the minister, many locations in India that are spread over the 7,500 km coastal line and the riverside are still hidden from the world. He is hopeful that in the coming years, the global players will come forward in promoting cruise tourism in India. Further, he stated that with the advanced technology and well-built infrastructure, India has the potential to become the number one tourist destination in the world.
During the conference, Minister of State, Shripad Naik also came forward and highlighted the efforts of the tourism and port ministry in strengthening the cruise line of the nation. He stated that four theme-based coastal destination circuits are under construction in the country. These include Gujarat Pilgrimage tours, West Coast – Cultural and scenic tours, South Coast – Ayurvedic wellness tours and East Coast – Heritage tourism.
Not just this, according to ANI, India is keen on improving cruise tourism and attracting around 4 million passengers which is currently limited to only 0.4 million. The target seems to be a big one but it can impact the nation in a positive way if executed in time.
