THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 8 March 2008 — Gulf Marinas, a leading marina manufacturer based in Sharjah’s Hamriyah Free Zone, has won the bid for India’s first marina to be built in the port city of Kochi.
The company claims to have the capacity to build 1,000 linear meters of floating marinas per week with total service support and has presence in more than 14 countries.
Kerala Chief Minister V.S. Achuthanandan laid the foundation for the marina to be built between Kochi’s Bolgatty Island and Marine Drive, with a capacity to accommodate 50 luxury yachts at a time.
It will be the world’s only marina with a golf course. “The first phase of the project will be completed in less than a year at a cost of Rs.80 million, half of which will be provided by the federal government,” Cheriyan Philip, chairman of state-owned Kerala Tourism Development Corp (KTDC), which is building the marina, said.
The KTDC has floated a subsidiary, Tourists Resorts Kerala Limited, to implement the project. The consultants were picked up through a competitive bidding process.
There will be two dozens state of the art rooms and recreation facilities to be built along with the marina to accommodate seafarers who make Kochi a stopover between the Middle East and Far East.
Currently, Kochi is the port of call for at least 60 yachts during the tourist season, which remain berthed there for periods ranging from two weeks to six months despite poor berthing facilities.
The marina will accommodate fuel stations, restaurant, health club, a car-parking area and a boardwalk — a wooden structure protruding into the backwaters. The marina is expected to provide job opportunities to hundreds of people who are skilled in repairing boats and communication equipment such as GPS, sonar and VHF radio sets.
Currently, there are no intermediate berthing facilities for the yachts leaving Dubai until they reach their destinations in the Far East.
Situated just 11 nautical miles from the international maritime route, Kochi has one of the best natural ports in Asia where Dubai Ports World is building an international container transshipment terminal. The Cochin Port Trust is also building a cruise terminal on the nearby Willington Island.
The construction of a two-lane road connecting the Bolghatty Palace and Goshree Island is already under way. The KTDC plans to complete the first phase before the Volvo Ocean Race, the world’s premier calls at Kochi, the only Indian destination, in December.
“Once completed, Kochi would emerge as the gateway of India’s tourism. Since tourists who travel by the sea are on the rise, Kochi Marina will boost the tourism prospects of the state,” Philip said.
Majority of the yachters arriving in Kochi, mostly aged couple, have been from European countries such as the United Kingdom, Finland and Norway apart from New Zealand and Australia.
“Kerala has already become a high-quality destination like Maldives, where hotels are priced very high, and not Goa and Sri Lanka where cheaper hotel rooms are available. The marina would give further boost to this segment,” he said.
The Kerala Tourism authorities feel the Kochi marina could well become what Florida is to the US where lifestyle tourists converge. The idea is to make them fly down to Kochi, take a cruise in yachts berthed here and fly back to their city.
Cruise vessel M.V. Deutschland at Cochin Port with some 500 tourists and 300 crew members. This is the 33rd cruise liner to arrive at the Kerala port since April last year. Port authorities expect nine more vessels this month.
