Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Friday, flagged off the world’s longest river cruise, MV Ganga Vilas, and inaugurated the Tent City at Varanasi, saying India was entering into a robust phase of tourism as curiosity about the country was increasing with its growing global profile.

This was the reason why various steps were taken in the last eight years to expand the tourism sector in the country, said the PM who also inaugurated and laid the foundation stone of several other inland waterways projects worth more than Rs 1,000 crore which are expected to give a push to tourism and employment in eastern India.

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Emphasising that strong connectivity was essential for building a developed India, he pointed out that the longest river cruise from Kashi to Dibrugarh being flagged off today would bring places of tourism in North India on the world tourism map.

Underlining the central role of river Ganga in the life of every Indian, the PM lamented that the area around the banks lagged behind in development in the post-independence period thereby leading to a massive exodus of population from the area.

He elaborated on a twin approach to address this unfortunate situation. On the one hand, the campaign to clean Ganga was undertaken through Namami Gange and ‘Arth Ganga’ was taken up on the other. In ‘Arth Ganga’, steps have been taken to create an environment of economic dynamism in the states from where Ganga passes.

Directly addressing tourists from foreign countries traveling on the maiden journey of the cruise, Modi said, “Today India has everything and a lot beyond your imagination.”

He further added that India could only be experienced from the heart as the nation has welcomed everyone with open hearts irrespective of region or religion, creed or country and welcomed tourists from all parts of the world.

Noting that the cruise would pass through 25 different river streams, the prime minister said this cruise has significant importance for those who have a keen interest in understanding the river systems of India. He also mentioned that it was a golden opportunity for those who wanted to explore the myriad culinary and cuisines of India.

“One can witness the extraordinary amalgamation of the heritage of India and its modernity on this cruise,” Modi remarked as he shed light on the new era of cruise tourism which would create new employment opportunities for the youth.

“Not just foreign tourists but also Indians who travelled to different nations for such an experience can head towards North India now,” the PM said.

Similar experiences were being readied in other inland waterways of the country to give a boost to cruise tourism while keeping in mind the budget as well as the luxury experience, he added.

The PM said that today’s event was a reflection of the policies and decisions taken after 2014 in the country. “This decade of the 21st century is a decade of infrastructure transformation in India. India is witnessing a level of infrastructure which was unimaginable a few years ago,” he asserted.

Referring to a study, the PM said waterways were not just beneficial to the environment but also help in saving money. He said the cost of operating waterways was two and a half times lesser than that of roadways and one-third lesser when compared to railways.

He also touched upon the National Logistics Policy and said India has the potential to develop a waterway network of thousands of kilometres. India, he said, has more than 125 rivers and river streams that could be developed to transport goods and ferry people while also giving impetus to further expanding port-led development.

He emphasised the need to build a modern multi-modal network of waterways and informed about the partnerships with Bangladesh and other countries which have strengthened the water connectivity in the Northeast.

MV Ganga Vilas will begin its journey from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and travel around 3,200 km in 51 days to reach Dibrugarh in Assam via Bangladesh, sailing across 27 river systems in India and Bangladesh. MV Ganga Vilas has three decks, 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists, with all the luxury amenities. The maiden voyage has 32 tourists from Switzerland signing up for the entire length of the journey.