Indian government identifies 5 cruise circuits, including Maldives

Indian government has made the decision to expand its cruise liner tourism industry by identifying five cruise circuits - which includes Maldives.

The Indian government has decided on five main cruise circuits; India, Maldives, Sri Lanka, Dubai and Singapore.

Minister of Shipping of India, Nitin Gadkari reported that 100 cruise liners are set to visit Mumbai alone in 2017; 60 cruise liners to Goa, Cochin and Mangaluru; and 11 cruise liners to Chennai.

The effort is part of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Sagar Mala project – a project to modernize Indian ports.

Cruise liners already use the route between Maldives and India; one of which is the Costa

Cruises’ neoClassica, which will be travelling between India and Maldives until March, 2017.

Indian government’s decision to expand its cruise liner tourism industry by including Maldives as a cruise circuit is expected to be beneficial to the Maldivian tourism industry as well.