MUMBAI, 19 JUNE, 2023 (HPN): Costa Cruises is all set to offer a new cruise programme exclusively dedicated to India. The announcement was made in Mumbai, in the presence of Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways, Government of India; Roberto Alberti, Senior Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Costa Cruises; Francesco Raffa, Director Asia Region & Growth Markets, Costa Cruises; Alessandro De Masi, Consul General of Italy in Mumbai, and other senior officials.
The ship chosen by the Italian company for India is the Costa Serena, which, after itineraries from Thailand, South Korea and Taiwan, will further extend its deployment in Asia. There are a total of 23 new sailings in India from November 4, 2023, to January 1, 2024, designed in collaboration with Costa’s General Sales Agent in India, Lotus Aero Enterprises. They will exclusively visit domestic destinations, giving Indian guests the opportunity to discover some of their country's most beautiful locations from a unique point of view. The itineraries, lasting between two, three and five days, will call at Mumbai, Cochin, Goa and, for the first time ever, the Lakshadweep, a beautiful tropical archipelago with white beaches and a magnificent coral reef.
“India’s waterways are a treasure trove waiting to be explored by tourists; our country is filled with scenic locales and beautiful destinations. I am happy to know about the new cruise programme exclusively dedicated to India by Costa Cruises. This programme also aligns with Shri Narendra Modiji’s vision of ‘Dekho Apna Desh’ – an initiative that was launched as an appeal by the honourable Prime Minister to Indians to prefer domestic tourism," said Sonowal.
Speaking at the occasion, Alberti said, "We have a strong and lasting bond with this wonderful Country: we have already sailed our ships in India in the past, and many of our onboard colleagues are from India. We select and recruit them through dedicated training schools based right in the country. We are strongly committed in offering our Indian guests a unique holiday experience onboard Costa Serena and we are truly looking forward to starting our operations in November. Costa Serena will be the largest cruise ship to operate domestic itineraries in India”.
Nalini Gupta, Managing Director Lotus Aero Enterprises, GSA Costa Cruise India, said, “We are excited to launch this programme for Indian travelers. This will also help unlock our country’s true tourism potential and help travellers explore hidden gems and get to know our own country in a new light. We are particularly excited about taking travelers to Lakshadweep for the first time ever helping explore its magnificent coral reefs”.Ends
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