The terminal at the Bandaranaike Quay at Colombo Port will be converted into a major cruise terminal to provide better facilities for cruises, their crew and passengers.
The current warehouses at that location will be shifted elsewhere, said Minister of Ports, Shipping and Aviation, Nimal Siripala de Silva after an inspection tour to the Colombo Port. The Minister instructed the Sri Lanka Ports Authority officials to move fast in this regard. The Navigation Division of Sri Lanka Ports Authority said that around 35 luxury passenger ships are scheduled to arrive at the port of Colombo with the coming tourist season for 2024.
“Therefore, we need to provide them more space and facilities and this is the reason for us to upgrade the facilities at Colombo Port. After this is done, even if three large ships of 350 meters in length arrive at the same time, we will be able to provide the necessary facilities for those operations and tourists.”
The Port Authority has started an immediate program to provide the necessary facilities to tourists near the existing passenger terminal and this includes new restaurants and merchandise shops. Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva said during the observation tour, that a large number of ships are going to arrive at the port of Colombo during the upcoming tourism season, and the government is committed to providing facilities for the operations of those ships and the tourists coming in them. “Therefore, the Sri Lanka Port Authority should take measures to provide those facilities by utilizing the existing space in the Ports Authority as much as possible,” he emphasized.
Further, the Minister said that apart from the existing passenger terminal, the Bandaranaike quay, which currently has several warehouses in the port, will be modernized and a program will be started to carry out the operations of luxury passenger ships.
