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Success of MV Ganga Vilas and other river cruises in India including Costa have spurred global cruise majors to make a beeline for Indian waters. Alternatively, some Indian players are now looking at global routes. At least two global majors are exploring cruises along India’s waterways, and are in discussions with the Union Ministry of Shipping, Ports and Waterways (MoPSW) on routes.
An official tracking the developments said international majors like MSC Cruises (which specialises in cruises on the Mediterranean Sea) and Royal Caribbean (another international cruise major with ops in Singapore, Thailand, and elsewhere) are eyeing an entry here.
The routes being explored include Mumbai - Goa, Mumbai - Lakshadweep, Mumbai - Daman & Diu, and Chennai - Sri Lanka, among others.
Most of the routes under discussion focus on Mumbai being the hub.
“There are global players which are eyeing operations along the West Coast routes and to Sri Lanka. Compared to the East Coast, where the sea and waters are relatively rough, the Western waters are calmer and hence more popular. Moreover existing routes or cruises there are operating successfully,” the official told businessline.
India is also exploring cruise or waterways travel along India - Bangladesh protocol routes.
The global river cruises market is projected to have a revenue of around $ 1.71 billion by 2032, up from $ 1.45 billion in 2022 with a CAGR of 2 per cent during 2022 to 2032.
Existing Cruises Taste Success
Ministry officials say the flagship luxury cruise, MV Ganga Vilas is already booked till March 2024 and the second journey of the cruise ship is expected soon. The world’s longest river cruise covers 17 river systems across 51-odd days.
Cordelia Cruises also saw good growth. It covered ports like Mumbai, Goa, Cochin, Lakshadweep, Diu, Chennai, Vizag and three others in Sri Lanka - Hambantota, Trincomalee and Jaffna. Total sailings have been over 200 with passenger count exceeding 400,000.
Italian cruise line - Costa entered the Indian market November last year and had sailings (around Christmas) of 5 nights covering Kochi and Lakshwadeep with 2 days at high seas.
According to Rajeev Kale, President & Country Head – Holidays, MICE, Visa, Thomas Cook (India) Limited, initial surge (post launch of Cordelia) saw sustained momentum of 100 per cent month-on-month during the year.
“With reopening of international borders and removal of travel protocols, sales numbers continue to reflect a healthy growth of 20 per cent YoY for Cordelia,” he said.
“We saw significant demand of over 100 per cent month-on-month for winter sailings (on Costa),” Kale added.
India’s Tourism ministry expects the cruise tourism market to be valued at ₹35500 crore by 2041 with a passenger count of 4 million.
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