Lok Sabha Question No. 1959 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-07-30
Subject: Task Force on Cruise Tourism
Ministry: TOURISM
Asked by: GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR, SUDHEER GUPTA, BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO, VIJAY KUMAR S.R.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF TOURISM

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1959 ANSWERED ON 30.07.2018

## TASK FORCE ON CRUISE TOURISM

## 1959. SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

SHRI SUDHEER GUPTA:

SHRI BIDYUT BARAN MAHATO:

SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR:

Will the Minister of TOURISM be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  constituted  a  Task  Force  on Cruise Tourism jointly by the Ministry of Tourism and Ministry of Shipping with representatives of all major stakeholders;
- (b) if  so,  the  details  thereof  along  with  the  recommendations made by the Committee and the response of the Government thereto;
- (c) the  estimated  number  of  cruise  tourist  passengers  presently visiting India;
- (d) whether the Government has fixed any target to increase the flow  of  cruise  tourists  in  the  country  and  if  so,  the  details thereof; and
- (e) the  expenditure  incurred  by  his  Ministry  for  development  of cruise  infrastructure  and  upgradation  of  cruise  terminals  in various parts of the country?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE FOR TOURISM (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) (SHRI K.J. ALPHONS)

(a) and (b): Yes,  Madam. A Task Force on Cruise Tourism has been  formed  jointly  by  the  Ministry  of  Tourism  and  Ministry  of Shipping  with  representatives  of  all  major  ports  and  stakeholders for  coordinated  efforts  to  create  an  enabling  ecosystem  for  the development  of  Cruise  Tourism  in  India.  The  Task  Force  meets regularly  and  the  last  meeting  of  the  Task  Force  was  held  on 21.05.2018.

- (c): During the year 2017-18, a total of 1,62,660 cruise passengers visited India at six major ports namely Mumbai Port, Chennai Port, Cochin Port, Kolkata Port, New Mangalore Port and Mormugao Port.
- (d): The  Government  has  taken  following  steps  to  increase  the flow of cruise tourists in the country:
- (i) Foreign flag vessels carrying passengers with effect from 6 th  February,  2009  have  been  allowed  to  call  at  Indian ports for a period of 10 years without obtaining a license from Director General of Shipping. This facility has been extended  further  for  a  period  of  5  years  i.e.  up  to  5 th February, 2024.
- (ii) Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for cruise vessels have been revised and operationalized w.e.f. November, 2017 for uniform, redefined processes to be observed by all major ports.
- (iii) Immigration  counters  have  been  set  up  at  five  major ports  visited  by  cruise  ships.  The  facility  of  E-visa  has been  extended  to  five  sea  ports  namely  Mumbai,  Goa, New Mangalore, Cochin and Chennai.
- (iv) Cruise tourists arriving with E-visa have been exempted from the requirement of biometric enrolment for a period of three years i.e. till 31.12.2020 to facilitate expeditious immigration clearance.
- (v) The port charges have been reduced and all major ports now  charge  a  uniform  single  rate  of  $0.35  per  Gross Registered Tonnage (GRT) for first 12 hours of stay w.e.f 3 rd  November, 2017 and will remain in force for a period of three years.
- (vi) The ports do not levy any priority/ousting/shifting charges for berthing the cruise vessel.
- (vii) Walk-in berthing/preferential berthing to homeport cruise without any extra charge is now available.
- (viii)  To  address  manpower,  coordination  and  logistic  issues for handling cruise vessels at ports, Port Level Facilitation  Committees  have  been  formed  under  the respective Chairman of the above-mentioned major Ports to facilitate seamless  handling  of cruise ships and passengers

(e): The Ministry of Shipping has informed that a new International Cruise Terminal at Mumbai has been sanctioned with approximate cost  of  Rs.300  Crore  in  a  PPP  Mode  and  another  cruise  terminal facility in the Ernakulum Wharf of Cochin Port for bigger ships has also been proposed with an estimated cost of Rs.25.72 crore. The Ministry of Tourism has also sanctioned various projects for the development of Cruise Terminals and related infrastructure in Goa, Maharashtra, Kerala and Tamil Nadu at the major ports for Rs.106.39  Crore  under  the  Scheme  for  'Assistance  to  Central Agencies for Tourism Infrastructure Development'.

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