Luxury Cruise Ganga Vilas carrying Swiss tourists reaches Ghazipur in UP

Tags: National News

The luxury Cruise Ganga Vilas carrying Swiss tourists on 7 January reached Ghazipur in Uttar Pradesh.

An overview of the news

• The tourists visited the famous places of Ghazipur including the tomb of Lord Cornwallis. The cruise reached Varanasi on 8 January.

• Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off Ganga Vilas, the world's longest river cruise, on January 13.

• The cruise will start from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and end at Dibrugarh in Assam.

• The journey will cover a distance of 3,200 km in 50 days and pass through 27 river systems in India and Bangladesh.

• The cruise will also pass through national parks and sanctuaries including Sundarbans Delta and Kaziranga National Park.

World’s longest river cruise  Ganga Vilas

• The length of the Ganga Vilas vessel is 62 metres and the width is 12 metres.

• It has three decks, 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 passengers, with all facilities for tourists.

• It is equipped with pollution free mechanisms and noise control technologies.

• The itinerary of Ganga Vilas has been conceptualised to showcase the rich heritage of India with stops at places of historical, cultural and religious importance.

• Ganga Vilas Cruises is the first cruise service of its kind.

• With the support of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) under the Ministry of Shipping, Ports and Waterways, efforts are on to make this service a success in other parts.

The global River cruise market

• The global river cruise market has grown at a rate of ~5% over the past few years and is expected to account for ~37% by 2027.

• Europe is the fastest growing with about 60% of river cruise ships in the world.

• In India, 8 river cruise ships operate between Kolkata and Varanasi, while cruise movement also operates on National Waterway 2 (Brahmaputra).

• 10 passenger terminals are under construction on NW2 which will further enhance the potential for river cruises.