Mormugao Port Authority (MPA) held a meeting to discuss preparedness with stakeholders to make plans for cruise liners during the upcoming tourist season.
The first cruise liner is most likely to arrive on September 30, informed MPA chairman.
Speaking to the media, MPA Chairman Venkata Ramana Akkaraju said that by the end of this month (Sept 29-30), the first domestic cruise is expected.
In October, the first international cruise will be sailing in to the port at Mormugao and the ships will continue to visit up to April-May.
The chairman further said that MPA is expecting more than 21 international cruise vessels at Mormugao and 35 domestic cruise vessels in this season.
The new cruise terminal will be 55 thousand square metres in area. This will be completed by September 30, 2023. Until then domestic and international cruises will be operated from the existing old cruise terminal.
The MPA chairman said, “During the Covid-19 pandemic, cruise tourism had come to a standstill. This is the first time we are starting cruise tourism after the pandemic. We want to make the experience of the inland and the overseas tourists memorable and comfortable here.”
SoPs for all stakeholders and security agencies are in place. All these organizations must follow these SoPs. When asked about the much-awaited ropeway project, the chairman said that certain CRZ and environmental clearances are needed.
