Visakhapatnam: International cruise terminal to operate from March

Visakhapatnam : The international cruise terminal will commence its operation from March and soon Visakhapatnam will be placed in the global tourism map, said Visakhapatnam Port Authority chairperson M Angamuthu.

As VPA completes 90 years, the chairperson said talks are on with various cruise operators to initiate cruise circuits. “Cruise needs to be planned in advance and the schedule has to be fixed at least three years in advance. By the first quarter of 2024, the cruise will be made operational,” the VPA chairperson informed the media on Wednesday.

The port aims to introduce cruises from Vizag to Andaman and South East Asian countries like Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. A circuit from Mumbai, to Goa, Kochi and Lakshadweep till Colombo will be introduced, while another will start from Chennai.

Speaking about VPA projects, the VPA chairperson said at present, the port has 22 projects in progress.

Of them, five will be completed in the month of March. In terms of trade, VPA broke its 40 previous records. “In future, the port will be the best in the country in compliance with the norms and following good trade practices.

Despite stiff competition, we will set a benchmark equal to a global port,” Dr Angamuthu stated.

In the overall performance indicators, VPA stands in the third position among 12 major ports. The cruise terminal aims to promote international cruise. VPA handled approximately 60 million metric tonnes of cargo by December 31, 2023, the VPA chairperson explained.

At present, cargo transportation is done 43 per cent through road, 26 per cent through railways, 21 per cent through pipeline and 10 per cent through conveyor.

Meanwhile, the Visakha Container Terminal Private Limited is evolving as a regional transhipment hub on the East Coast of India with containers from Kolkata/Haldia, Paradip, Chittagong and Yangon.

“In next five years, VPA is likely to handle about 75 per cent of the total throughput through PPP terminals. By 2030, VPA is likely to inch towards 100 per cent handling through PPP terminals in addition to handling captive cargo from PSUs and captive customers. The port is the leading port in marine products export with a share of 26.36 percent,” the chairperson informed.