Indian PM Modi to flag off world’s longest river cruise ‘MV Ganga Vilas’ from Varanasi on January 13

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will flag off the world’s longest river cruise ‘MV Ganga Vilas’ from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on 13th of January. The luxury cruise will cover a distance of more than 3,200 kilometers across 27 river systems in five States in India and Bangladesh. The MV Ganga Vilas cruise is curated to bring out the best of the country to be showcased to the world. The 51 days cruise is planned with visits to 50 tourist spots including World Heritage Sights, National Parks, river Ghats, and major cities like Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Guwahati in Assam. The MV Ganga Vilas vessel is 62 meters in length, 12 meters in width. It has three decks, 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists, with all the amenities to provide a memorable and luxurious experience for the tourists. The ship is equipped with pollution-free mechanisms and noise control technologies. The maiden voyage of MV Ganga Vilas will witness 32 tourists from Switzerland relishing the Varanasi to Dibrugarh journey. The expected date of arrival of MV Ganga Vilas in Dibrugarh is on 1st of March, 2023.

Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal has said that the huge untapped potential of river cruise is set to get unlocked with the launch of this service. Highlighting the need to develop river cruise tourism in the country, the Minister said that the development of this sector would generate employment opportunities in the hinterland. He said the river tourism circuits will be developed and integrated with the existing tourism circuits for maximum exposure and rapid development of this sector in the country.