An opportunity to cruise through to the Andamans

CHENNAI: With summer holidays barely three months away, travellers have begun to plan their vacations. Those in the high-end bracket are even trying to get aboard a

cruise

ship and among the most popular choices of destinations are places in the

Mediterranean

and Southeast Asia, say tour operators. But there are options closer home, if only there was wind in the sail.

While two passenger ships operated by the

Shipping Corporation of India

leave Chennai port for Port Blair, neither the state government nor the shipping corporation has realised the potential of promoting cruise tourism.

Port Blair

is a popular summer destination and one-way air fares are known to touch `10,000 in April and May. But since the passenger ships have an unreliable schedule, not to speak of the abysmal facilities they offer, tourists choose to fly. A few who tried the slow moving and rickety ships ended up frustrated, posting online photographs of poor facilities.

Travel and tour operators say the Chennai-Port

Blair

route, which a ship covers in three days, can be improved. A stopover in Colombo can make it lucrative to the operator and a great holiday opportunity for the high-end tourist who often looks to combine an experience at the sea, on a beach and at a foreign destination.

"There was a plan to promote cruise between Chennai and Puducherry but it did not take off because people said the sea was rough. Kochi is operating cruises and so are Mumbai and Goa," said a retired officer of TN tourism.

According to the tourism department’s policy note of 2016-17, Chennai port received two cruise ships. The note urged operators to modify tours and make visitors spend more time on the shore and visit more tourist places for a minimum of three to four days. But the policy never talked about cruises starting from Chennai.

"The state government, the tourism department and the port should come together to promote cruises. It is languishing not because there is a lack of operators, but because there is no support from the government. It may take a year to make profit. There should be support for a year till it takes off," said M K Ajith Kumar of Asia Pacific Tours.

An official attached to the Andaman & Nicobar administration which operates transport ships between Chennai and Port Blair said: "We don’t look to promote tourism by sea as it is not viable. Ship schedules and vessel availability are erratic. Ships to Port Blair leave from Chennai only once in 10 to 15 days. It is difficult for a tourist to plan when there is so much uncertainty."

The official said the two ships — MV Nancowry and MV Swaraj Dweep — are used by the working-class population as a cheap mode of travel. "The vessels are not suitable for tourism as they lack facilities like bars, restaurants and casinos," he said.