Tamil Nadu Mercantile Board seeks interest for Chennai, Mamallapuram, Puducherry cruise
The proposed service aims to target leisure and tourism traffic between the three coastal destinations.
The Tamil Nadu Mercantile Board has called for an expression of interest (EoI) to operate a cruise service between Chennai, Mamallapuram, and Puducherry, according to The Hindu.
The proposed voyage would travel along the coast in the waters of the Bay of Bengal. The service is primarily intended for leisure and tourism traffic, though it may also support general passenger movement.
The Board is seeking views from operators regarding vessel capacity, suitable service frequency, and realistic passenger demand. The actual demand for the ferry will depend on factors such as journey time, tariff, seasonality, and service reliability.
A former cruise worker suggested that an open sea route might limit the number of days the service could operate. The individual noted that boats cannot operate too close to the coast due to sea bed depth and fishing activity, suggesting a cruise along the Buckingham Canal might be a better option.