Thiruvananthapuram: A rejuvenating sail along the Arabian coast awaits adventure enthusiasts and tourists this Onam. For the first time, the Tourism Department in association with the Ports Department is gearing up to introduce high-speed catamaran passenger service from Kochi to Vizhinjam. The initiative will help promote catamaran tourism and offer a breath-taking ride for those who love to sail.
The voyage will be launched on a pilot basis for one month during Onam on the lines of Goa – Mumbai catamaran service. Port Director P.I. Sheik Pareeth told DC that the double hull catamaran will have a capacity of 100 passengers. “We will operate the voyage for one month to check the viability of the project. If the vessel can cover the distance at a speed of 50 km – 100 km per hour we will procure the catamarans,” said Mr Pareeth. The ferry cost will be bare minimum.
“We are hoping to fix the ticket cost between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500. We have invited expression of interest from shipping companies and domestic and international ferry operators to launch the pilot project. If the distance could be covered in 5 to 6 hours we could make this a permanent passenger route. The project wouldn’t be viable if the number of passengers is less. We are expecting a minimum of 50 passengers,” he said.
The main aim of the project is to promote tourism and the fully airconditioned catamarans will provide state-of –the art voyage for tourists. The Ports Department will provide all basic amenities at Vizhinjam and Kochi ports for the passengers.Kera
