Modi govt’s tourism boost for Kochi! Sagarika International Cruise Terminal is an example of good tourism infra: PM Modi

Modi govt’s boost for Kerala tourism! Touching upon various tourism initiatives to boost India’s travel rankings and with greater focus on coastal areas, Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Kochi visit on Sunday has yet again highlighted the Centre’s renewed focus on harnessing the country’s untapped tourism potential.

The Prime Minister also inaugurated the Ro-RO vessel service between Wellington Island and Vallarpadam, which would benefit the common man. Wondering how? The vessel service would reduce the road distance spanning about 30 kms to a mere 3.5 kms when channeled through the city’s waterways.

“Better connectivity means more commerce and convenience, it will reduce congestion and pollution, ” PM Modi stated.

From seaweed farming to initiatives to boost the country’s blue economy and highlighting the growing need to innovate in the tourism sector, Prime Minister Narendra Modi began his address to the people of Kochi with the greeting, “Namaskaram Kochi!” and went on to say that the Queen of the Arabian Sea, as the city of Kochi is referred to, is as wonderful as always.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, “In the last five years, India’s tourism sector has grown substantially. On the World Tourism Index, India’s ranking has improved significantly from 65th to 34th rank. There is much more that needs to be done. I am confident that we will improve more. I urge my young startup friends to develop innovative tourism products.”

He further said, “Over 50 lakh Indians came back home under Vande Bharat Mission, many were from Kerala. It was our Govt’s honour to serve them at such a sensitive time.”

While addressing the gathering in Kochi, PM Narendra Modi cited the Sagarika International Cruise Terminal as a noteworthy example of good tourism infrastructure. As the COVID-19 pandemic has made people more safety conscious, this has given us the right opportunity to grow the nation’s local tourism, Modi observed.

“These projects will not only energise the growth trajectory of the state but also strengthen our journey towards AtmaNirbharBharat,” the Prime Minister stated in Kochi.

Apart from inaugurating Cochin Port’s International Cruise Terminal which will increase the port’s capacity to handle more cruise ship passengers, PM Modi also inaugurated several key infrastructure projects including Cochin Refinery’s Propylene Derivative Petrochemical project.

Another key project included inaugurating Vigyan Sagar, which is Cochin Shipyard’s knowledge campus, which is set to develop human resources in the field of marine engineering. Stating the Cochin Shipyard’s campus is a reflection of the importance of skill development, the Prime Minister stated that this would be most helpful for those wanting to study marine engineering.

Adding to this, PM Modi reaffirmed the government’s commitment towards developing its blue economy, “India is giving the highest importance to develop the country’s blue economy. Our vision and work in the sector includes improving infrastructure on current ports, more ports and sustainable coastal development and coastal connectivity.”