The Visakhapatnam Port Authority, in its mission to transform the city into a cradle for tourism, is nearing the completion of a dedicated cruise terminal being built with a budget of 96 crores. As per reports, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping, and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal is likely to launch the terminal on 21 August 2023.
Housing a high-end terminal building featuring an array of modern facilities, the under-development terminal will have a 180-meter-long berth. The terminal’s size is around 12,660 sqm and can hold cruise vessels of approximately 1 lakh Gross Register Tonnage (GRT). According to an official, the terminal building will host several amenities such as cafeterias, lounges, and duty-free stores alongside an exclusive area for customs and immigration checks.
Also read: SpiceJet to run daily flight between Visakhapatnam and Hyderabad
Additionally, the building, with a housing capacity of 2,000, will be equipped with elevators, expansive parking spaces, infrared temperature scanners, and more. The ship-shaped facility will be secured by the CISF and will have separate passageways for entrance and exit on the lines of an airport. The budget for this cruise terminal and the terminal building is being shared by the Visakhapatnam Port Authority and the Ministry of Tourism.
On the revenue front, the port authority is said to have plans of charging 0.085 USD per GRT from cruise operators and 6 USD per passenger. The VPA is also in talks with various cruise operators to bolster cruise tourism in the region.
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