MELAKA: The Melaka International Cruise Terminal (MICT), to be completed by 2026, is expected to draw an additional 15.8 million visitors per year, including 10 million foreign tourists, said Melaka Chief Minister Datuk Seri Ab Rauf Yusoh.
He said the RM682 million project will bring in an estimated RM9 billion in tourism expenditure, adding that MICT can accommodate more than seven million tourists per year, with 1,500 cruise ships annually.
"The terminal is also expected to be the largest cruise jetty in Southeast Asia, positioning Melaka as a catalyst for the tourism sector and serving as the stopover for cruise ships from Singapore to Phuket, Thailand," he told reporters here today.
Ab Rauf said the cruise terminal can accommodate two Oasis-class cruise ships, one Quantum-class cruise ship, and one voyage of the seas cruise ship at the same time.
The project can transform the state tourism industry from a 'weekend economy to a 365-day economy', he added.
He said this after witnessing the signing ceremony for the cooperation agreement for the management and operations of MICT between Melaka International Cruise Terminal Sdn Bhd (MICTSB) and Global Ports Holding PLC (GPH).
KAJ Development Sdn Bhd (KAJD) executive chairman Datuk Daing A Malek Daing A Rahaman represented MICTSB, and GPH chief operations executive Stephen Xuereb signed the agreement on behalf of the company.– Bernama