The expected increase in arrival of cruise tourists might offer a
respite to Kerala’s tourism stakeholders who are concerned about the
lacklustre arrival of guests from places like Europe.
The Kochi Port foresees an increase in number of cruise liners arriving
in the city, from 44 last fiscal to 50 in 2012-’13. This will have an
added impact on the regional economy since cruise tourists are
generally high spenders. On an average, each cruise tourist spends $200
in the State during the ship’s stopover here for less than a day. In
2011, the arrival of nearly 58,000 cruise tourists to Kochi generated
revenue worth Rs 60 crore to the State’s exchequer.
Interestingly, more shipping companies are showing a preference to
berth the vessel here overnight. This is seen as a marked difference
from the past when the vessels used to come early in the morning and
leave by evening. On Saturday, around 2,800 guests and 1,250 crew
members arrived on board Celebrity Solstice, a mega cruise liner having
19 decks. The ship arrived here from Muscat and will leave the city on
Sunday for Malaysia.
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