Luxury cruise liner MV Empress arrives in Kochi, gives a boost to pandemic-hit tourism in Kerala
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An on-shore tour of Kochi was scheduled for the guests and the tour itinerary included Mattancherry, Fort Kochi and a backwater.
A luxury cruise MV Empress, which is owned by Cordelia Cruises, reached the shores of Kochi on Wednesday (September 22) after embarking on its journey from Mumbai, marking a promising start to the revival of domestic pandemic-hit tourism in the southern Indian state of Kerala.
The liner became the first luxury cruise to anchor at the state-of-the-art terminal, after the devastating COVID-19 pandemic swept across the world, said a press release.
The department of Kerala tourism said, "The luxury liner M V Empress, with 1200 travellers on board, anchored at Cochin Port, Willingdon Island this morning."
An on-shore tour of Kochi was scheduled for the guests and the tour itinerary included Mattancherry, Fort Kochi and a backwater.
The Kerala Tourism Department accorded a warm welcome to the guests with martial Velakali dancers and women in traditional off-white dress greeting them.
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Cordelia cruises, the first cruise vessel to call at Cochin Port since the onset of pandemic, was given a traditional welcome by @KeralaTourism at Sagarika, the new International Cruise Terminal at Cochin Port. @shipmin_india @PIB_ShipMin @tourismgoi @CordeliaCruises pic.twitter.com/m9T9QOXd00
— Cochin Port Trust (@cochin_port) September 22, 2021
The luxury liner M V Empress, with 1200 travellers on board, anchored at Cochin Port, Willingdon Island this morning. An on-shore tour of Kochi was scheduled for the guests. The tour itinerary included Mattancherry, Fort Kochi and a backwater #cruise. #Tourism #KeralaTourism pic.twitter.com/rR2U69mGZq
— Kerala Tourism (@KeralaTourism) September 22, 2021
Kerala Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas said the arrival of domestic tourists marks a promising start to the full-scale resumption of Kerala Tourism, overcoming the pandemic-induced crisis.
"This trend is set to gain pace in the coming days. Kerala is a safe and secure place for the lock-down weary vacationers to come as we have put in place an efficient and meticulous bio-bubble model to create protective layers of inoculated service providers to receive and host tourists," Minister said.
“Cordelia Cruises is grateful for the kind and warm reception extended to us by Kerala Tourism. Together, we hope to bring new dawn on the travel and hospitality industry in India and do hope the world takes notice and travels to our Subcontinent to experience our offerings which are, both, international quality and have a local soul," the company said in a release.
"With promising collaborations such as these, we will bring a new way of touring breathtaking locales along with enjoying fresh flavours of entertainment for our guests. We are tirelessly curating a plethora of experiences for the same," the release further said.