First Cruise Vessel "MV Empress" Between Chennai, Sri Lanka Flagged Off
NDTV
The occasion also marked the inauguration of an international cruise tourism terminal, set up at a cost of Rs 17.21 crore at the Chennai Port.
The maiden international cruise vessel between Chennai and Sri Lanka "MV Empress" was formally flagged off by the Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal here on Monday.
The occasion also marked the inauguration of an international cruise tourism terminal, set up at a cost of Rs 17.21 crore at the Chennai Port. The facility spread across 2,880 square metres would be able to host 3,000 passengers.
The launch of the cruise service comes in the backdrop of the memorandum of understanding signed between Chennai Port and Waterways Leisure Tourism for domestic and international cruise service at the Incredible India International Cruise Conference in 2022.
"With our rich heritage and culture around our coastal region, the potential of cruise tourism in India is immense. Today, as we launch the maiden cruise service between Chennai and Sri Lanka, it has ushered a new chapter in the cruise tourism sector in the country," Sonowal was quoted as saying in a PIB release.
