Sri Lanka Ports Authority has decided to transform the Bandaranaike Quay (BQ) in Colombo Port into a fully-fledged international cruise terminal to promote cruise tourism in the country.
Sri Lanka Ports Authority has decided to transform the Bandaranaike Quay (BQ) in Colombo Port into a fully-fledged international cruise terminal. The objective of this initiative is to cater to the growing number of cruise vessel calls coming to them after the 30-year ethnic war ended in 2009. This has been confirmed by Lakdas Panagoda, chairman of the Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) at Import Section of the Ceylon Chamber of Commerce’s annual general meeting. Even SPLA has promised to make an investment of $400 million for the Hambantota Port and the outlay would be used for the construction of a repair centre and renewal of bunkering services.
The travel industry of island has acknowledged the requirement of a dedicated cruise terminal for promoting the cruise travels. The BQ is currently being used as a breakbulk terminal and a part of its harbor was also leased by Cairn India for its oil exploration activity in the Gulf of Mannar, which ended in October 2014.
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