Jalesh Cruises, a premier cruise line catering to the Indian domestic and international cruise business, received its first ship, Karnika, the erstwhile Pacific Jewel from P&O Australia recently in Singapore. The vessel, which is the first in the fleet of the multi-destination cruise line Jalesh Cruises, will reach Mumbai on April 17. Zen Cruises is the exclusive ticket selling agent on behalf of the owners of Jalesh Cruises. Jurgen Bailom, President & CEO, Zen Cruises in an interview with TTI spoke about the potential vested in promoting India as a destination for cruise tourism, challenges and way forward. Following are the excerpts of the interaction.
Q. Asian ports have been immensely popular among Indian outbound travellers. What potential do you see in Indian destinations for cruise tourism?
A. Indians rank number two among Asians for cruise vacations, only after China. Indians are increasingly opting for tourism that offers a mix of adventure, entertainment and culinary experience. India is blessed to have more than 7,000 Km of coastline that offers a beautiful mix of cultures for tourists to experiences. To add to this, the Indian Government is working with full steam to upgrade infrastructure at the ports and provide world class amenities to provide a hassle free travel to tourists. There is enormous potential for Indian destinations to draw more visitors through the high seas.
Q. Do you think that domestic cruising can help in the popularity of cruise vacations in the Indian market?
A. There is definitely a huge potential for incentivising the cruise industry operators to offer a range of premium and luxury cruises given that there is substantial interest from Indian tourists towards cruising as a vacation. The government too realises the immense opportunity it has from boosting the domestic cruise industry, which as of now, is at a nascent stage. India has both demographical and geographical advantage in supporting its cruise industry and there will definitely be an exponential growth in demand for domestic cruises if the industry gets the required support from all stakeholders.
Q. Cruising has also found many takers among Indian corporates for incentive tours. How are you promoting your cruise line in this particular segment?
A. Indian corporates are increasingly opening to adopting best practices in creating a positive work environment. Given that most Indians are vacation deprived, it doesn’t hurt any corporate to offer new experiences to its employees – giving leaves to employees to pursue their passion to sending employees on vacations with their families to boost morale. Even for conferences and off-sites, companies are no longer sticking to the same old format. They want to do things differently and in style for employees. Our maiden ship Karnika, is a 70,285-ton, 2000 passenger cruise, which is set to take the travellers on an unparalleled journey filled with numerous experiences that will leave them breathless and yet wanting for more. Karnika offers a host of experiences including pulsating music, tantalizing cuisines, enthralling adventures and performances and a host of other activities. On board Jalesh Cruises, we provide the luxury of organising corporate events on the open sea with all the comfort, convenience, and hassle-free operation combined with authentic Indian hospitality. We offer a variety of venues to suit every group size and meeting objective even on the high sea. Be it organising a conference, seminars, special launch screening, or an informal party for completing a milestone, we are fully-equipped to offer a grand and enjoyable corporate event. Our offerings include theatre, lounge and outdoor spaces for corporate parties along with customised solutions for catering, live music, entertainment and state-of-the-art multimedia technology solutions.
Q. The Indian government has been trying to link Mumbai with other prominent locations across the country, besides South East Asia and has asked private operators to come forward and take the benefit of the booming cruise industry. However, do you think India still lags far behind in terms of positioning itself as a destination for cruising? What can be done to attract cruiseliners to choose Indian ports?
A. Many factors are at play when it comes to the booming Indian cruise tourism sector. First, Indian ports are growing at a CAGR of 9.8 per cent and the cruise tourism market in India has potential to grow to plus 4 million passengers in next 10 years. Second, with increasing disposable income there is a growing demand from the middle class for travel, especially the kind that offers different experiences. Given these it is imperative for the cruise tourism industry and its stakeholders to evolve rapidly to build sustainable business models.
Collaboration between different stakeholders of the industry including the cruise lines, port operators; travel companies, and the state and central government is crucial for the success of the industry. The Indian Cruise Lines Association (INCLA) is a first-time ever initiative in India to bring all stakeholders on a common platform to discuss and resolve any bottlenecks that may prevent the industry from proliferating and competing with their counterparts across global markets like the U.S. and China.
INCLA has submitted a white paper to the Union Minister, Nitin Gadkari to put forward the demands of the industry for an early resolution. Changes in regulatory parameters like liberalization of cabotage laws, relaxation of immigration and customs laws, tax reforms among others and development of infrastructure at ports is imperative for the success of the cruise industry in India.
Karnika
Karnika will dry dock in Singapore at Sembcorp Marine Admiralty Yard over the next few weeks for a extensive refurbishment exercise to customize the ship to suit Indians travelers. It will then proceed from Singapore to Colombo via Kochi, New Mangalore, Goa and finally arrive in Mumbai on April 17.
The cruise liner will be sailing initially between Mumbai and Goa for first few weeks till May, 2019 before proceeding to the Middle East where it will remain till mid-September. The cruise liner will be exploring the huge coastal length of India and giving the customer to enjoy and savor the same. Between May, 2019 and September, 2019, cruise passengers will have a choice of itineraries between Abu Dhabi, Bahrain, Doha, Dubai, Muscat and Sir Ban Yas Island.
Following the refurbishment, Karnika will offer a multitude of facilities including spas, salons, fitness, fine dining, leisure activities for kids and teenagers alike.
To give a wholesome experience of vacation to cruise passengers, Jalesh Cruises will also offer on shore Excursions across Indian port cities including Kochi, Mormugao, Mumbai, and international locations including Abu Dhabi, Colombo, Dubai, Muscat among others.
The company has initiated bookings for its 2019 itineraries on its website www.jaleshcruises.com or directly through its holiday advisors at 1800 266 8927 in addition to its Sales Business Partners.