KOCHI: Nefertiti – the first sea-going luxury cruise liner of the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC) – raked in an impressive revenue collection of Rs 1.35 crore in December, thanks to the KSRTC, which has emerged as its top client for the first time. “It’s a win-win scenario for both the state-run agencies.
The KSRTC’s Budget Tourism Cell brought us a revenue of Rs 30 lakh last month with its Nefertiti tour package. The next best performer was a travel agent, bringing us a business of Rs 27 lakh. There has been a steady rise in the number of visitors availing of the KSRTC tour scheme since September.
The cash-strapped KSRTC also stands to benefit from this,” said KSINC commercial manager Cyril V Abraham. The three-decker cruise ship boasts world-class facilities, including a lounge bar, auditorium, banquet hall, 100-seat 3D theatre, restaurant, sun deck and children’s play area among others. It conducted 30 trips in December last year to cater to the tourists arriving in KSRTC buses from various places across the state during the holiday season.
The cruise will take the visitors to the scenic Kochi backwaters and the Arabian Sea for five hours. “The cruise liner conducted 43 trips in December, out of which 30 carried the tourists who booked the ‘Nefertiti Evening DJ Cruise’ programme through KSRTC. Among the KSINC vessels, the highest number of trips conducted in December was the two ‘Sagararani’’ sea cruise vessels, which ope.
