Cruise liners rev up tourist arrivals in Kochi

KOCHI: By the boatload. The expression is proving true for the Queen of the Arabian Sea. For it is turning into a magnet for tourists, especially those arriving on cruise liners. The Kochi harbour has seen plenty of traffic over the past few months, with April witnessing the arrival of 10 cruise liners. Ships belonging to Cunard Lines, Royal Caribbean Lines, Aida Cruises and Costa Cruises are the major cruise liners that dock at the Cochin Port Trust’s BTP cruise terminal.

According to a top CPT officer, till date, nearly 28 cruise liners have come calling at Kochi. “The arrival of cruise liners stops by the end of May. It picks up again after September,” he said.
As many as 13 cruise liners are slated to visit the city from October to December, taking the total number of ships to 41. “Last year, 47 ships had dropped anchor at the wharf,” the officer said. “It was considered to be a record in terms of tourist arrivals. This year, the number of tourists arriving in cruise liners is expected to touch 19,630. The number of crew members is pegged at 9,181.”

With statutory clearances like Customs and immigration for cruise passengers being provided under a single roof, tourists are falling hard and fast under Kochi’s spell. This in turn is boding well for the tourism industry.

According to Kerala Tourism’s Ernakulam joint director Nandakumar K P, the department is marketing aggressively the state’s tourism potential abroad.

“The aim is to attract more tourists, especially those travelling on cruise liners to Kerala. Our efforts, it seems, are paying off. The arrival of a large number of cruise liners to Kochi can be taken as a positive sign. Giving it due importance, we have ensured all facilities are being provided to the tourists arriving on cruise liners,” he said.

Nandakumar said cruise tourism will help boost revenue generation from the tourism industry. “We want them to visit the state again,” he said. Most tourists arriving on cruise vessels, he said, visit heritage destinations in Kochi, Kumarakom and Alappuzha. “Some even go to Munnar,” he added.

Popular port of call
The Kochi harbour has seen plenty of traffic over the past few months, with April witnessing the arrival of 10 cruise liners
Ships belonging to Cunard Lines, Royal Caribbean Lines, Aida Cruises and Costa Cruises are the major cruise liners that dock at the Cochin Port Trust’s BTP cruise terminal
As many as 13 cruise liners are slated to visit the city from October to December, taking the total number of ships to 41
Most tourists arriving on cruise vessels visit heritage destinations in Kochi, Kumarakom and Alappuzha. Some even go to Munnar