Date:09/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/09/stories/2009010953490200.htm

Tamil Nadu - Tuticorin

Cruise vessel arrives at Tuticorin

Staff Reporter

With 70 tourists on board

— Photo: N. Rajesh

Welcome to India: m.v. Island Sky arriving at Tuticorin Port on Thursday.

Tuticorin: m.v. Island Sky, a cruise vessel, arrived at Tuticorin Port at 9 a.m. on Thursday with passengers from the UK, the US, France and South Africa along with Indian nationals.

A rousing reception was accorded by the Tuticorin port management to the crew and tourists. This is the first cruise vessel calling at Tuticorin Port in 2009, according to a statement.

The Immigration and Customs authorities have completed their examination. Intensive security arrangements were made by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the local Police for the safety of the vessel at the port.

About 70 tourists who came in the vessel left for Madurai to visit Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple and other tourist places there.

The Tuticorin port was striving to promote the southern districts of Tamil Nadu as a potential tourist destination for Cruise Shipping. More vessels were expected to call at Tuticorin Port. The port has reduced the vessel related charges as per the Cruise Tourism Policy of the Ministry of Shipping, Road Transport and Highways and has also taken steps for augmenting infrastructure for promotion of cruise tourism.

The vessel earlier started from Colombo and it would later visit the ports of Vizhinjam, Cherian Islands, Kochi and Maldives.