Kochi short-listed as stop-over point for 'Volvo Ocean Race'

Kochi, Oct 15 (UNI) In an event that could be a mega-buck earner for God's Own Country, Kochi has been shortlisted among three Indian ports as a possible stop-over point for the 2008 Volvo Ocean Race, an international yachting event held once in four years.

Mumbai and Goa are the other two ports identified as potential ''host ports.'' A stop-over in India will provide the country and the port chosen with the opportunity to showcase itself to a global audience through the media and directly to the hundreds of thousands of people visiting the port either as spectators or as part of the race organisers and participants, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) Kerala State Council Chairman Navas Meeran told UNI.

Mr Meeran said the Volvo Ocean Race Team headed by Mr Andy Hindley, Racing Director, and Angus Buchanan, Commercial Director, had visited Kochi and met State Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Principal Secretary, Tourism, E K Bharat Bhushan, Director, Kerala Tourism, B Suman, and Cochin Port Trust Chairman N Ramachandran.

The Department of Tourism and the Cochin port Trust had agreed to host the event.

Mr Meeran said the CII, which had floated the India Brand Equity Foundation (IBEF) in partnership with the union commerce and industry ministry, was trying to bring the Volvo Ocean Race to India as part of the IBEF efforts to bring global mega events to the country to build positive economic perceptions of India globally.

Describing the Volvo Ocean Race (VOR) as the world's most high-tech and prestigious yachting event, Mr Meeran said ''you can term it as the Formula One of sailing.'' Terming the event as ''highly impactful'', he said that each stop-over lasts between 7-21 days depending on weather conditions across the race route and the amount of time required to repair boats at the end of each leg.

In the previous years, the event had attracted more than two lakh visitors to the race village and was responsible for a direct and indirect economic impact worth nearly 61 million Euros.

''To deliver such a global event, infrastructure is required to cater to the racing community and visitors. This provides the chosen port with a catalyst to invest in its infrastructure and facilities in the port and surrounding area. The economic impact from this alone will repay the investment made in fulfilling a port agreement,'' he said.

Also, a global race of this kind will bring in its wake global businesses investing in the event as team or race sponsors.

''This provides an ideal environment to showcase industry in India and to network with senior executives and decision-makers with the long term aim of expanding business in the country,'' he added.

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