Green Channel facility for Cruise Tourism passengers
A CBEC letter to the Field states, "Cruise tourism in India and the efforts to boost it have been engaging the attention of the Government for quite some time. It is an emerging initiative and a very potent source of earning foreign exchange and a measure to generate the direct and indirect employment in the maritime States of India. This form of tourism carries in itself a lot of promise towards further popularizing the tourist sector in the Coastal India."
Keeping in view the emerging potential of the Coastal Shipping in general and Cruise tourism in particular, Board has decided to allow Green Channel facility to all the International Cruise Passengers who come onshore for tourism purposes.
It has come to the knowledge of the Board that at some ports, domestic passengers who wish to travel between Indian Ports in a foreign Cruise vessel are not allowed to do so. Directorate General of Shipping in the Ministry of Shipping has granted permission to foreign flag ships carrying passengers to call at more than one Indian port for a period of ten years.
Board has, therefore, decided that in view of the relaxation given by the Ministry of Shipping, Indian Nationals should be allowed to travel from one Indian port to another Indian port in a foreign cruise ships/ vessels during its domestic leg for tourism purposes.
CBEC Letter in F.No.450/214/2015-Cus IV., Dated: January 04, 2016