Vizag Port opens international cruise terminal on September 4 to boost tourism

Visakhapatnam: The much-awaited Vizag International Cruise Terminal (VICT) will be made operational soon. Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal will inaugurate the terminal on the Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) premises on September 4.

The project at the cost of Rs 96.05 crores was jointly developed by Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA) and Union Tourism Ministry. The ministry has sanctioned Rs 38.5 crores for VICT. The terminal can hold vessels capable of carrying 2,000 passengers with a draft of 8.1 meters. The terminal has parking space for seven buses, 70 cars and 40 two-wheelers.

VICT offers world-class port facilities with efficient services and operations and attractive tariffs for the cruise.

The cruise industry is supporting 1.17 million jobs across the globe in a variety of sectors such as hospitality, aviation, agriculture, retail, entertainment, manufacturing, information services, and health care. Not only Andhra Pradesh but also the country as a whole will greatly benefit from cruise tourism as it will generate lots of employment.

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,” a VPA official said.

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.