Mumbai Port Authority is organizing the First International Conference of Incredible India 2022 on 14-15 May, 2022 in Mumbai. The Minister of Trade Unions of Ports, Ships and Water Affairs and AYUSH Shri Sarbananda Sonowal briefed the media on the upcoming First Incredible India International Cruise Conference 2022 with a video conference from New Delhi, today. He also launched the event website www.iiicc2022.in and introduced the event logo and candy brand ‘Captain Cruzo’ for the event.
Speaking to the media, the Minister of Trade Unions said, “India is preparing to be a good place to sail and capture this growing market. The Indian cruise market has the potential to grow tenfold in the next decade due to rising demand and revenue.”
Business opportunities intourism sector
The two-day conference will showcase a number of business opportunities in the country’s tourism sector with the aim of first showing India as a desirable destination for cruise travelers, highlighting regional connections, promoting new and attractive destinations such as lighting and dissemination of information about India readiness to develop the cruise industry.
The summit will be instrumental in the development of tourism in India so that the country can lead the industry globally, he said. “Cruise tourism is one of the fastest growing and growing industries in the entertainment industry. India had a good start in 2017 when the first international trip to India’s port of Mumbai where more than 1800 passengers met their first international trip from India. Since, there the number of cruises in India has increased exponentially.
In 2017-18, 238 cruise ships reached the Indian ports with a capacity of 1.76 lakh. The largest ship ‘Spectrum of the Seas’ visited Mumbai Port in 2019. However, the COVID epidemic and the suspension of business that resulted in 2020 caused serious damage to the tourism industry”.
Shri Sonowal said the famous BPX Indira Dock Mumbai International Cruise Terminal is expected to start operating in 2024. “It’s one of the next steps going forward.” The airport will be able to carry 200 ships and one million passengers a year. The cost of the project is Rs 490 crores, of which Rs 303 crores will be received by the Mumbai Port Authority and the rest will be borne by the private sector. Commenting on the importance of this conference in Mumbai, the Minister of Union said, “As it is the largest maritime sector in the country, the conference will attract more international players”. River cruise tourism managers will also be taking part in the conference, he added. The cruise industry brings in a few hundred thousand tourists to the country, the minister said.
Shri Sonowal went on to say, Maritime India Vision (MIV) 2030, launched in March 2021, a decade-long growth map strongly emphasizes the development and improvement of maritime, coastal and river travel and lighthouse development. “The project is estimated to create more than two lakh new jobs and meet the expectations of tourists and the tourism industry and give impetus to infrastructure development.”
The Summit will also highlight ports such as Mumbai, Goa, Kochi, New Mangalore and Lakshwadeep on the west coast and the ports of Kolkata, Vishakhapatnam, Chennai and Andaman on the east coast as a tourist destination. At the same time, the conference will focus on creating a conducive and conducive environment for sailors to discuss ideas with government officials in the region.
The further distribution of long-distance cruise ships to India will be encouraged, with a focus on domestic tourism potential, which is estimated to grow to 40 million by 2042. In this context, the creation of small shipbuilding business opportunities, tourism revenue, youth employment and skills development through institutional frameworks will be highlighted.
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