As San Fernando reached the Vizhinjam International Seaport as its first mothership with a water salute, the coastal region is winning attention as home to India's first deepwater container transhipment port. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will receive the first container ship of the port as part of the inaugural ceremony on Friday (July 12), which marks the beginning of regular services. Vizhinjam, also known for its marine aquarium, a rock cut cave temple, an age-old lighthouse and seasonal water sports avenues, is also a tourist spot. In the initial period of the port's construction, the local people and tourism stakeholders had apprehensions about how the land acquisition, dredging and the like to build the port would affect the area's tourism activities. E M Najeeb, president of the Confederation of Kerala Tourism Industry, tells Onmanorama how the port will affect Kerala's tourism industry. 

'Luxury cruises in the next phase'
The port will give the country, especially South India, a facelift, according to Najeeb. "The Confederation of Kerala Tourism Industry had asked for facilities to welcome luxury cruise lines at the port. We are told that it will be done as a second phase in the port, with arrangement for immigration and related requirements," he says. Kovalam, which is one of the first ever popular tourist spots of Kerala, is just 3 km away from Vizhinjam. "When other tourist spots came up, Kovalam's importance went down. However, if luxury cruises arrive, Kovalam can be brought back to its old glory. The cruise tourists can also get down in Thiruvananthapuram for lunch or dinner, sightseeing, key breaks and the like, and this will also help local transportation providers, business communities, hotels and restaurants, health and education sectors," says Najeeb. 

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Will the port be open for a visit?
The port had apparently invited the business community of Thiruvananthapuram to explore it a while ago and Najeeb feels that after the inauguration, portions of the port will be open for other visitors too. "Restrictions would be in place for a while but after that, it's highly likely the port will have facilities to host tourists within a schedule. The tourism stakeholders have been invited again to promote lighthouse tourism activities. I believe this means the port is trying to grow hand in hand with the tourism industry," he says. What about the apprehensions shared by local people and the fishing community? Najeeb opines that while there are still some misgivings on various fronts on the impact of the port on tourism, the picture so far is promising. "As of now, the beach is protected. The hotels around it are also able to function without any issues. Certain inconveniences are possible for sure, but I believe, overall, it will only have a positive impact on Kerala tourism," he adds.

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