Due to the European recession, the number of cruise vessels sailing to Kochi/Cochin port this fiscal are considerably less when compared to last year.
The industry sources are blaming the dip in cruise business. Cruise vessel handling companies said they have received confirmation of only 30 vessels till April next year.
The period from November to April were always promising for Kochi, which is considered a sought-after port. The Cochin Port Trust website shows three cruise vessels are expected to call at the port in November. Since 2002, there has been a steady growth in the number of cruise vessels coming to Kochi.
In 2002-03, Cochin Port played host to 11 cruise ships, followed by 18 during 2003-04. While it was 19 during 2004-05, the number went up to 22 during 2005-06.