Europa 2, the first international cruise vessel to arrive in Kochi after a two-year pandemic-induced break, brought in guests mainly from Germany, Italy, Switzerland and Austria. A total of 20 cruise vessels are expected to call at Kochi till May 2023.
| Photo Credit: H VIBHU
Europa-2, with 257 tourists, most of them from Germany, Italy, Switzerland, and Austria, early on Tuesday morning, is the first foreign cruise vessel to call at the Kochi port after the pandemic outbreak.
The Malta-registered 225-m-long vessel has 372 crew members. The arrival of the seven-deck vessel, which can accommodate up to 500 guests, marks the beginning of the cruise season in Kochi and also the maiden visit of a cruise ship at Sagarika, said to be the sole full-fledged international cruise terminal in the country, located at the port’s Ernakulam Wharf.
The guests were given a traditional welcome arranged by India Tourism and the Ernakulam DTPC. The agencies had readied pre-paid taxi and autorickshaw counters, tourist information desk, and buggies to transport the guests to and from the ship to the terminal.
During the course of the day, the guests visited Fort Kochi, Mattancherry, took the popular tuk-tuk tours, harbour cruise, and an Alappuzha backwater trip. A few dozen bicycles were unloaded from the vessel, for guests who preferred to explore the city by pedalling.
The vessel that arrived from Mangaluru will set sail to Patong, Thailand, at 10 p.m.
“The revival of the cruise-tourism sector, which was the first fatality of the pandemic, augurs well for the regional economy since it is the most prolific segment of the tourism industry and generates significant employment,” said M.Beena, Chairperson of Cochin Port Authority.
“The port authority is committed to promoting cruise tourism as it helps spur economic activity and generates forex in the hinterland and ensures employment opportunities,” she said.
20 vessels expected
During the cruise season from September 2022 to May 2023, the port will play host to 20 international cruise vessels. Among them, Kochi will be the first port of call (in India) of five vessels, while it will be the maiden call for three others — Borealis, Amera and Le Champlain. The port city used to receive on an average 45 to 50 cruise vessels a year, which together brought in over 50,000 high-spending guests.
Aimed at promoting cruise tourism, the Centre has rolled out a slew of business-promotion measures, including the extension of rationalised cruise tariff till September 2023 and the easing of immigration procedures.
In a formal ceremony at the cruise terminal, Vikas Narwal, Deputy Chairperson of the port authority, handed over a plaque to Capt. Christian van Zwamen, Master of Europa 2.