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- Port face-lift to cost Rs 400 M
Port face-lift to cost Rs 400 M
- By Indradev Curpen
- Published 9th May, 2008
- News
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Indradev Curpen
Senior Journalist with News On Sunday. Covers economics, finance, and business news. Has also worked for the national radio and television and other local publications. Holds a Diploma in Mass Communications. Has travelled widely.
View all articles by Indradev Curpen
Port Louis harbour will offer a completely new scenery in the months to come as infrastructural works start in September next in order to meet coming exigencies like receiving more than 20,000 passengers travelling on cruiseliners.
“ We are going to construct a maritime station with a jetty of 100 m capable of receiving a 300m long cruiseliner, a passenger terminal of an area of 1000m2 with a capacity of 2,000 passengers and the construction of a parking area for cars, and other vehicles. The project will cost approximately Rs 400 million or around 9.5 million Euros,” Nomita Seebaluck, Assistant Commercial Manager, Mauritius Ports Authority, told participants in a seminar organised by the Indian Ocean Islands Ports Association on Thursday.
The seminar, which was held on May 7and 8, aimed at reinforcing cooperation between the ports of the region. Discussions on Thursday covered exclusively “ Opportunities and Development of Cruises” among Indian Ocean Islands. The director of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority(MTPA), Dr Karl Mootoosamy and Krish Lalsing of Coraline Shipping Agency were the other participants in the discussions led by Shekar Suntah, director, MPA.
“Cruiseliners are increasing year by year in the region. While in 1980 we had the visits of 80 cruiseliners, more than 1,000 are expected in 2008 bringing more than 20,000 tourists of a new kind,” Suntah said.
The speakers unanimously agreed that the islands of the Indian Ocean have to review their port installations. They say the islands are offering a new perspective in cruise tourism because of their specificities and vast cultural backgrounds. They are more prized by tourists because the Caribbean islands and the Mediterranean region are saturated and suffering from pollution.
Presently there is no terminal for cruiseliners at the port and cruise passengers disembark on the operational zone. Furthermore the harbour can only accommodate cruiseliners of not more than 45,000 GT.
“ We are going to construct a maritime station with a jetty of 100 m capable of receiving a 300m long cruiseliner, a passenger terminal of an area of 1000m2 with a capacity of 2,000 passengers and the construction of a parking area for cars, and other vehicles. The project will cost approximately Rs 400 million or around 9.5 million Euros,” Nomita Seebaluck, Assistant Commercial Manager, Mauritius Ports Authority, told participants in a seminar organised by the Indian Ocean Islands Ports Association on Thursday.
The seminar, which was held on May 7and 8, aimed at reinforcing cooperation between the ports of the region. Discussions on Thursday covered exclusively “ Opportunities and Development of Cruises” among Indian Ocean Islands. The director of the Mauritius Tourism Promotion Authority(MTPA), Dr Karl Mootoosamy and Krish Lalsing of Coraline Shipping Agency were the other participants in the discussions led by Shekar Suntah, director, MPA.
“Cruiseliners are increasing year by year in the region. While in 1980 we had the visits of 80 cruiseliners, more than 1,000 are expected in 2008 bringing more than 20,000 tourists of a new kind,” Suntah said.
The speakers unanimously agreed that the islands of the Indian Ocean have to review their port installations. They say the islands are offering a new perspective in cruise tourism because of their specificities and vast cultural backgrounds. They are more prized by tourists because the Caribbean islands and the Mediterranean region are saturated and suffering from pollution.
Presently there is no terminal for cruiseliners at the port and cruise passengers disembark on the operational zone. Furthermore the harbour can only accommodate cruiseliners of not more than 45,000 GT.
