The Hambantota International Port (HIP) has welcomed over 6000 tourists in the latter part of November and during December 2023.Those passengers arrived on five cruise liners that called at the port, HIP has said in a media statement.

The ‘Azamara Journey’ docked on November 29, carrying 620 passengers, while the Luxury cruise liner Mein Schiff 5 called at HIP on December 11, carrying 2200 passengers.

Mein Schiff 5 first arrived at the IHP in May 2022.The Celebrity Millennium ship docked twice in December, carrying 3500 passengers and the ‘Nautica’ arrived on December 19, bringing 498 visitors.

By December 28, HIP had recorded approximately 22 cruise ship calls, with most of them arriving from Chennai via Cordelia Cruise Lines. The shipping line, which offers holiday packages to Indian and international travellers, made a number of ships calls to HIP from June to September this year on their cruise liner ‘Empress.’Approximately 7,500 tourists arrived at the port throughout the year, IHP said.