MV Ganga Vilas
Why is it in the news?
Recently, the prime minister, Narendra Modi, flagged off the world's longest river cruise, the "MV Ganga Vilas." At the event, he also inaugurated the tent city of Varanasi and laid the foundation stones for various development projects.
About the MV Ganga Vilas
It is the longest river cruise in the world, from Kashi (Varanasi) to Dibrugarh (Assam).
The first indigenously built river cruise.
It can cover a distance of 3,200km in 51 days to reach Dibrugarh via Bangladesh.
It has three decks and 18 suites with a capacity of 36 tourists with top-class facilities.
This will be managed by the IWAI (the Inland Waterways Authority of India) under the Ministry of Shipping, Ports, and Waterways (MoPSW).
It will take you to the forty famous historic sites on the banks of the Ganga river, like Hazarduari Palace, Katra Masjid, Chandanagar church, and many more.
For 51 days, the planning is done so that 50 tourist spots will be covered, including heritage sites, ghats, national parks, and many more.
Cities like Patna, Sahibganj, Kolkata, Dhaka, and Guwahati will also be covered during the voyage.
The cruise will connect the NW-1 (Ganga) to NW-2 (Brahmaputra) and come across various destinations along Ganga and Hooghly.
The cruise will cross 27 river systems.
About Tent city
It will be near the Ganga river bank for the convenient utilization of the tourists in the region.
It will provide facilities like accommodation for the tourists, making it easier for them to travel.
It would be a great means of transport for tourists and devotees.
The operational timing will be from October to June
The facilities will be halted for three months during the rainy season due to the rise in the level of the Ganga river.
What are the opportunities?
Generate employment opportunities for the hinterland.
This cruise will bring a boost to river cruise tourism, put Indian tourism destinations on the global tourism map and will showcase India's growing global profile.
The rapid development of the tour will take place.
It will ensure the socioeconomic development of the country.
The foreign would be able to explore India and Bangladesh's arts, culture, history, and spiritual experiences.
The journey would bring the tourists spiritual, multinational, and natural experiences.
Why has the government taken this step?
The Indian government took several initiatives to boost the tourism sector, including infrastructure upgrades, port fee rationalization, and the elimination of exit fees.
The focus is now on increasing cruise passenger traffic from 0.4 million to 4 million.
Tourism has the potential to raise $5.5 billion in the coming years.
