The Port Management has decided to start a promotional program at the beginning of next year, with a view to attract more tourist and passenger ships to the Hambantota International Port.
Through this, the Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG) expects that the number of ships arriving at the port in 2023 will be three times that of 2022.
In this regard, the press release issued by Hambantota Port is as follows.
In less than a week after the Cruise ship Mein Schiff 5, luxury liner Azamara Quest docked at Hambantota International Port (HIP) at 7.30am on 5th December and is expected to leave at 6pm.
The port is continuously positioning itself as a gateway to the island’s southern tourist attractions. While the Mein Schiff 5 was on a 46 day cruise from Dubai to Singapore visiting several ports in Oman, Sri Lanka and Malaysia. The Azamara Quest, which is on a 2 week cruise from Dubai to Singapore, called at Mumbai, Cochin, Colombo, Hambantota and is sailing to Indonesia.
“We are actively promoting Hambantota as a cruise ship destination. As a modern port with the best passenger facilities, HIP in particular will be a desirable destination, not merely as a tourist attraction, but also because of its proximity to the principal sea routes. The port’s location away from the busy metropolis, and its green environment, is another factor. Our staff is also geared to be more flexible in handling passenger movement in and out of the port,” says Johnson Liu, CEO of Hambantota International Port Group (HIPG).
285 of the 474 passengers on board the Azamara Quest were on organised tours to Yala, Bundala, Anantara, Kataragama, Mulkirigala and Udawalawe wildlife park. They also visited a hotel in Tangalle for more local experiences. Free individual travellers on board explored Hambantota preferring to take in the sights using local tuk-tuks.
