Cruise operators work on Indian destination itineraries

Some of India’s new port developers are already in talks with international consultants for setting up cruise terminals to support estimated 200,000 passengers a year travelling out of the country.

“I known that the some of the ports are already in conversation with one of the major cruise terminal consultants,” said Christopher Hayman, chairman of Seatrade, which regularly organize marine industry events including the Seatrade Global Cruise in Florida, next being in April 2019.

“That (discussions with consultants) would be very productive,” added Hayman, highlighting the Indian government’s initiatives of promoting cruise terminals for both in bound and outbound tourists.

He noted India’s large number of port development programme which includes cruise terminals for foreign tourists.

“India is a potential destination and source market for cruise touirism,” he said 24 April 2018 after launching Seatrade’s marine industry conference, Sea Asia Voice, to be held here in 9-11 April 2019.

“India is a huge untapped market,” said Hayman, pointing to the growing middle class with strong propensity to travel.

He estimates over 200,000 Indian cruise passengers a year.

“India is seen as a very exciting opportunity for the future. We are going to see more activities from major cruise liners and interest from India to develop India as a destination for cruise calls and India as a source market for passengers cruising worldwide,” he stressed.

The cruise industry is always looking for new itinerary opportunity and in order to develop these itineraries it needs cruise terminal facilities to accommodate the ships, said Hayman.

Cruise liners are expanding strongly in Asia with China becoming an established market of more than two million passengers a year, he pointed out. fii-news.com