Team Herald
PANJIM: Union Roads, Highways and Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari on Tuesday spoke of developing cruise tourism and waterways connectivity to the proposed airport at Mopa.
“I have told Goa government to study feasibility of waterways connectivity to Mopa airport whereas the Goa to Mumbai cruise service has been delayed by two months due to technical difficulty and will commence after the monsoon,” he said.
The Union Minister also expressed unhappiness that the Captain of Ports (CoP) Goa is raising questions and that the ministry needs cooperation from Goa administration. Gadkari also said that the government has been encouraging cruise tourism and in the next five years 950 cruise ships are set to enter Goa.
“Mumbai gets around 80 cruise ships and we have also constructed a state-of-the-art terminal for it. We expect that in the next five years 950 cruise vessels will be entering Goa,” he said.
The union minister further proposed the idea of having a cruise from Mumbai to Andaman Nicobar via Goa and Cochin. “I will be holding a workshop of tour and travel companies in Mumbai. I am also inviting Goan tour and travel companies,” Gadkari said.
