Mumbai's eastern seafront to be tourism hub

Mumbai is slowly transforming as India's cruise capital.

To boost the cruise and sea tourism, the Mumbai Port Trust (MbPT) and Maharashtra government's tourism and fisheries department are planning several initiatives along Mumbai's eastern seafront, that also boasts of the iconic Gateway of India.

"We are getting cruise ships and in next couple of years, we would be able to handle 200 plus callings annually," MbPT chairman Sanjay Bhatia told reporters on board cruise ship Costa neoRiviera, which arrived in Mumbai on Thursday.

"We want more and more cruise ships to come to Mumbai, make it a home port," he added.

The existing cruise terminal is witnessing a major expansion and would be ready by October next year, he said, adding that waterfront development of Mumbai has been accorded priority.

"A marina is also coming up in the Mumbai port area," added Bhatia.

According to Lotus Aero Enterprises Pvt Ltd's managing director Nalini Gupta, there is tremendous potential in this sector.

"Our experience has been very good and we are getting repeat customers," she said.

Recently, Union Shipping Minister Nitin Gadkari performed the bhoomipoojan of the project in Mumbai, which houses one of the oldest ports in Asia.

He inaugurated floating restaurants and invited tenders for the ropeway project from Elephanta Island to Sewri, which would be the biggest in the world— over 8 km.

"The Mumbai-Goa cruise services had received very good response," Bhatia said and added that every alternate day, 300 to 350 passengers are using it.

Meawhile, the Sassoon Dock in Mumbai, one of the oldest fishing harbours in India, would be modernised on the lines of those in Norway.

The draft plan also includes a museum, Fisheries Minister Mahadev Jhankar had recently said.

The Sassoon Dock was built in 1875 and overlooks the Oyster Rock. It was the first commercial wet dock on India's western coast.