Chennai, June 22: Pondicherry, bubbling with tourism activity these days is soon to have a "Yard Marina” of international standard on its sprawling seafront as part of the union territory's ambitious tourism promotion plans. The proposed Yard Marina, envisaged as a comfortable parking slot for about 2000 yachts on the lines of similar facilities available in Taiwan, Colombo and Philippines is expected to attract an influx of foreign cruisers, according to K Lakshmi Narayanan, the union territory's tourism minister.
"Consultants for this ambitious project have already been shortlisted and the project is expected to be commissioned in the next 18 months", P Mathew Samuel, managing director, Pondicherry Tourism and Transport Development Corporation Ltd told.
Yard Marina, the first of its kind in Indian waters is certain to emerge as a prime destination for foreign cruisers who could anchor their yachts in Pondicherry and start exploration of the rest of the country, Samuel said.
Intensive efforts being made to market Pondicherry as a brand titled "Peaceful Pondicherry: Give time a break", have already started paying rich dividends with the tourist inflow growing at the rate of at least 20 per cent per annum.
'The most significant is the growth in leisure tourism' says Dr M K Ajit Kumar, general manager, hotel Pondicherry Ashok, a unit of the ITDC and Pondicherry Industrial Development and Investment Corporation. Bureau Report