Sri Lanka Ports Authority records increase in number of cruise ships calling at the Colombo Port
The Sri Lanka Ports Authority (SLPA) has reportedly stated that calls by cruise ships have grown strongly at the country’s main port of Colombo this year with container transshipment traffic also growing fast.
A statement issued by the SLPA has noted that 45 cruise ships have called at the Port of Colombo in the 10 months to October this year, up 28.8 percent from a year ago.
The growth came in response to government efforts to focus on tourism and investment in 2017, and 2018, the statement has further noted.
According to the SLPA, the initiative would continue in 2019.
Container transshipment traffic at the Port of Colombo has grown 19.5 percent in the first ten months in 2018 to 4,717,746 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEUs).
The Port of Colombo was ranked as the world’s No.01 container growth port among the top 30 container ports for the 1st half of 2018.
Reports further state that the Port of Colombo expects to handle 7.0 million containers in 2018, up 12.9 percent from the 6.2 million TEUs handled in 2017 with joint marketing by three terminals, Jaya Container Terminal, Colombo International Container Terminal and South Asia Gateway Terminal.
OSL take:
Sri Lanka’s ports and shipping sector has been on a growth path in the past few years. However, the increase in the number of cruise ships calling at the Colombo Port also indicates a boost in Sri Lanka’s tourism sector as well. The country’s tourism sector has also been on a growth path since 2015. Given the development in Sri Lanka’s ports, shipping and tourism sectors, interested foreign businesses could explore business opportunities in the island nation.
| Article Code : | VBS/AT/20181207/Z_2 |