International cruise terminal opens at Vizag Port, sights set on increasing tourism

Visakhapatnam: Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal inaugurated the Vizag International Cruise Terminal (VICT) and a few more projects worth Rs 333 crore at Visakhapatnam Port on Monday.

Besides the cruise terminal, he inaugurated a covered storage shed, a world-class truck parking terminal and a revamped berth (OR-1 berth).

The covered storage shed is equipped to handle 84,000 tonnes of bulk and bagged cargo with a mist arrangement to suppress dust. Likewise, the truck parking terminal can accommodate 666 vehicles and also provide other facilities such as a 100-bedded dormitory, along with shops and other conveniences.

“We have inaugurated four important projects at the Visakhapatnam Port, which have added to the strength of the existing port facilities. It will give a special boost,” Sonowal said.

The cruise terminal can handle 2,000 passengers at a time and the port city will be developed as a cruise hub in the future, he said. Sonowal said that the goal is to enable the handling of more than nine lakh passengers by 2030, who will include local and international tourists.

According to the shipping minister, cruise tourism provides a huge opportunity for India with a market size of more than $7 billion. Sonowal highlighted that Indian ports are becoming the best in the world, and are being further enhanced with modern infrastructure.

Apart from this, three other projects would be opened by the Union Minister. One of them will be the ‘covered storage shed’ in the R-11 area, built at a cost of Rs 33.8 crores. The shed has a capacity to store 84,000 tons of bulk and bagged cargo. The shed is covered to reduce the pollution from storing the open cargo that comes in bulk. The revamped berth of OR1 will also be inaugurated. OR1 out of three berths will be inaugurated on September 4 and the remaining berths will be opened by October 31, 2024. The fourth project will be the Truck Parking Terminal (TPT) on 20 acres with an investment of Rs 36.05 crores. The terminal can accommodate 666 vehicles.