MUMBAI: Union Shipping Minister Sarbananda Sonowal said on Saturday that the Indian cruise market has the potential to develop 10-fold in the next ten years, owing to increased demand and disposable incomes.

After inaugurating the 1st Incredible India International Cruise Conference-2022, he said, "The government recognises this potential and is keen to establish India as a worldwide crisis centre with top-class facilities for both ocean and river cruises." The minister described India as a "magnificent cruise destination," saying that many attractions along the country's 7,500-kilometer coastline and enormous river systems had yet to be discovered.

"Global players have shown a strong interest in boosting cruise tourism in India, and with the development of appropriate infrastructure and the use of current technologies, India will undoubtedly become one of the world's top tourism destinations," he said. Sonowal stated that a Task Force comprised of national and international specialists has been established to facilitate the establishment of a cruise tourist eco-system in the country.

He quoted Prime Minister Narendra Modi as saying that transformation may be achieved through transportation, which requires the use of technology, and that port-led growth can contribute in the establishment of a full ecosystem for transportation, tourism, and cruise tourism.

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