Modernisation and expansion of the cruise terminal has started at Chennai port, and the facility is expected to be ready for passengers by September. The project is aimed at boosting cruise tourism.

Chennai port, one of the oldest ports in the country, covers 420 acres of water spread area and 714.54 acres of land area. To raise its prospects as a cruise tourism hub, the Ministry of Tourism sanctioned funds with which the first round of modernisation was carried out over seven years ago. The renovated terminal was inaugurated in 2018. But this wasn’t enough. Since only the northern portion of the terminal was opened for boarding and disembarking, it led to crowding.

Now, work has been taken up to expand the terminal’s southern side and add exclusive spaces for boarding and disembarking to streamline passenger movement. This will also facilitate quick entry into and exit from the terminal. When this expansion is completed, the cruise terminal at the port will be able to handle 1,800 passengers, compared to its existing capacity of 1,000.

According to officials of Chennai Port Trust, while additional elevators are being installed on the eastern and western side, new escalators are being built on the western side. Other works include upgrading the baggage handling system, setting up separate screening and frisking zones for international arrival passengers, renovating washrooms, and revamping the ground floor, mezzanine level, and the north and southern portions of the cruise terminal.

“Since cruise tourism is slowly picking up, it is time for us to upgrade and create the necessary infrastructure for future needs. If we get two vessels at the terminal at the same time, we should be able to handle them without any delays to passengers. For this, it is imperative to have dedicated areas for embarkation and disembarkation,” an official said.

Officials said this would reduce the waiting time for passengers, increase their comfort, and attract more vessel calls eventually. This aside, sources said the immigration department was also keen on upgrading some facilities for smooth passenger clearance, and this was also being carried out.

Subhash Goyal, chairman of the aviation and tourism committee, Indian Chamber of Commerce, said cruise tourism in India was poised to take off in a big way over the next five to 10 years, and Chennai could play a significant role in this. “But, the need of the hour is that our cruise terminals should be modernised and upgraded like some of the best airport terminals. This could bring in a lot of vessels. Chennai has a lot of potential and can have cruise ships operating to Puducherry, Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Lakshadweep, and Port Blair in future,” he added.

Source: The Hindu 

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