Kerala Maritime Board keen to launch ‘Gateway to Blissful Voyages’

Senior officials of the Kerala Maritime Board (KMB) on Wednesday 27 Mar met representatives of more than 20 shipping companies to discuss a proposal to introduce shipping services to West Asia and Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries from Kerala.KMB Chairman N.S. Pillai said the talks with shipping service operators were positive. The meeting was an exploratory one to address the concerns and queries of the companies, Mr. Pillai added.

The government has extended support to the shipping companies to launch services at the earliest considering the requirement of such a service and a long-standing demand from the expatriate community. Mr. Pillai said the companies would study the proposals and submit Expression of Interest (EoI) in the project on April 22.

The KMB has christened efforts to launch regular services to Gulf countries ‘Gateway to Blissful Voyages’, offering a huge opportunity to operators.  For long the sea route between West Asia and Kerala has always been a popular highway for passenger movements as it is cheaper compared with airfare.which is said to have touched ₹50,000 in the recent past.

The Kochi port has facilities for receiving even big ships, and the government will discuss the possibilities with the port authority, which operates under the Shipping Ministry.  By facilitating seamless transportation between these destinations, KMB aims to unlock new avenues for economic growth, cultural exchange, tourism development and meet the travel needs of NRKs.