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A plaque
exchange
ceremony was
held on
board the
cruise
vessel "MV
Aquamarine"
of Louis
Cruise
Lines, to
mark its
inaugural
call at the
Passenger
Jetty at the
Colombo
Port.
The
vessel "MV
Aquamarine"
is a Luxury
Cruise ship
which has
405 cabins
and can
carry 1,200
passengers.
This will be
the first
regular
fixed day
cruise
operation to
Sri Lanka,
and it is
expected to
increase the
number of
visitors to
the country
by 2,000 per
month. The
vessel will
ply between
Cochin,
Male, and
Colombo with
weekly calls
at the
Colombo
Port. It
will arrive
in Colombo
every Monday
at 1400hrs
and depart
every
Tuesday at
1500hrs.
Plaques
were
exchanged
between the
Managing
Director of
Capt. Nihal
Keppetipola
and a Master
of the
vessel "MV
Aquamarine"
Capt.
Stathis
Romeos and
the
officials of
Messrs.
Aitken
Spence
Shipping
Ltd. to mark
the
occasion.
SLPA
Managing
Director,
Capt. Nihal
Keppetipola
said: "This
move opens a
new era for
the tourism
industry in
post-conflict
Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka is
gearing up
for the
development
of the
tourism in
the
northeast".
"The
global
cruise
industry
generates an
estimated US
$ 15 billion
a year in
passenger
expenditure
and is the
fastest
growing
sector of
the travel
industry.
Therefore,
it is
important
that our
ports and
coastal
destinations
are
carefully
managed and
promoted to
ensure that
they are
well placed
to continue
reaping the
long-term
economic
benefits of
this
lucrative
market. I
firmly
believe that
this move
will
undoubtedly
serve as a
launching
pad uplift
Colombo as
South Asia's
premier
cruise
destination",
he said.
(DN 10122009) |
