Until now river cruise tourism in India was very less discussed about. But with latest announcement of tourism government giving push to river tourism, companies from the sector
have started witnessing a gradual push. Most importantly luxury cruise tourism in India was mostly driven by international tourists. However, brands are now getting queries from domestic travellers wanting to explore cruise tourism.
Over the next ten years, the Indian cruise market could increase tenfold due to increased demand and rising disposable incomes. India is a stunning destination for cruises; many of its 7,500 km of coastline and enormous river systems have yet to be discovered by the world.
The Indian government is aware of the potential and is working hard to establish India as a major cruise hub with cutting-edge river and ocean cruise infrastructure. Global players have expressed a significant interest in boosting cruise tourism in India, and with the necessary infrastructure and the adoption of contemporary technologies, India will undoubtedly rank among the top locations for river cruise tourism worldwide.
In the upcoming years, India’s river cruise business may open up new opportunities for travellers as well as new investors. Speaking at the first Incredible India International Cruise Conference (IIICC) in Mumbai, Union Tourism Minister G. Kishan Reddy emphasised the industry’s enormous potential for growth. Along with pointing in that direction, he urged both domestic and foreign visitors to “Come, Cruise in India.”
India intends to increase the number of cruise passengers from the current 0.4 million to 4 million. In the coming years, the economic potential of cruise tourism is anticipated to increase from USD 110 million to USD 5.5 billion.
Globally the river cruise market has grown at around 5 percent over the last few years and is expected to constitute around 37 percent of the cruise market by 2027. Europe has been driving growth with around 60 percent share of river cruise vessels in the world with rivers Danube in Europe and Yangtze in China dominating the river cruise market globally.
Tourism-related infrastructure is also being created as part of the expansive PM GatiShakti National Master Plan, with an emphasis on shipping, river tourism, forest and animal tourism, and other sectors. 10 coastal-themed circuit projects totaling INR 648.80 crore have been approved through the Swadesh Darshan programme spanning various states and union territories. The massive Namami Gange Project, which has been a major part of government efforts to clean and revitalise rivers, can significantly increase river-based tourism.
In a related step, an MoU has already been inked by IWAI and Antara Luxury River Cruises for a river cruise along the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route between Varanasi (near the U.P.) and Bogibeel (in Dibrugarh, Assam). IWAI and JM Baxi River Cruise travels along the Indo-Bangladesh Protocol Route from Varanasi to Bogibeel via Kolkata.
Tourists from the United Kingdom, the United States, and Australia are booking aboard the luxurious cruise ship Mahabaahu, which travels down the Brahmaputra. The company saw three years of flat growth before the government helped with the dredging of the river to make it passable in 2015–16; presently, it is witnessing a rise of 50 percent.
Twenty percent of Antara Luxury River Cruises’ passengers are domestic clientele, while eighty percent are from other countries. However, in the past, there were no domestic travellers at Anatara who chose river cruises. The business will launch the longest river cruise, which will travel 50 days and connect Bangladesh and India, in December of this year. Additionally, all available seats for that departure have been sold.
Nitin Gadkari, the Union Minister for Road, Transport, and Shipping, stated that the government has begun dredging the Brahmaputra to create a waterway up to Bangladesh. In partnership with private cruise operators, the Inland Waterways Authority of India, which falls under the Ministry of Shipping, is permitting cruise operations on National Waterways-1 (the river Ganga) from Kolkata to Varanasi.
The state of Odisha had intended to launch river cruises in five locations, including the Bhitarkanika mangroves, Chilika Lake, Satkosia Gorge, and Hirakud Reservoir. The Covid-19 pandemic caused the idea to be postponed. However, the Odisha government is going forward with the river cruise project via Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode as travel restrictions are increasingly loosened.
Each of India’s 106 waterways has a tremendous potential for the river cruise industry. The Saryu riverbank is one of Uttar Pradesh’s most well-known waterways which is also unexplored and is mentioned in several ancient Hindu texts, including the Ved and Ramayan. A long stretch of ghats and gardens along the Saryu Riverfront, which is bounded by a collection of temples. Throughout the year, on various religious occasions, it is visited by hundreds of devotees who come here to take a holy dip.
The exploration of the Chambal River in Rajasthan has tremendous opportunities. The Kottapuram, Kumarkaom, Kuttanad, Alleppey, and Kollam rivers in Kerala holds potential too. Goa’s Mandovi River, Zuari River, and Cumbarjua Canal can all be included in a river cruise itinerary.