GWADAR EAST BAY CRUISE SHIP TERMINAL

Abstract

Gwadar with its rapid economic development, huge foreign investments and access to the 800 KM long coastline spread across the length of Baluchistan, is regarded as having an immense potential for a huge number of tourists and tourist destinations. Presently, there is no inter-regional connectivity in terms of tourism between the coasts of Baluchistan or even Pakistan as a whole and its neighboring coasts of UAE, Iran, India, Sri-Lanka and the Far-Eastern ports of Hong Kong and Bangkok. This implies that there is currently no Port-of-call for cruise tourism in the country. Provided the infrastructure, it is expected that cruise tourism in the country would witness rapid growth. This would lead to the development of a major cruise corridor in the region that would link tourism to the China Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) and further boost its economic vi ab i I ity. With Gwad a r being the only Po rt-of-ca 11 for cruise tourism once developed, it would also greatly improve the economic conditions of Baluchistan as a province. A cruise terminal is a project of large scale development, and the revenue when compared with the investment, may not be attractive, therefore the thesis proposal is a mix of commercial activities, publically accessible zones combined with the main terminal building. The cruise ship terminal with a focus on the commercial aspect of the program opens up to the various classes of people who would not have previously been able to experience the exclusivity that the program entails in general. The Terminal with a commercially active business center acts as a hub of economic growth. With provisions of not only local business opportunities but also reaching into a cultural bed establishing a direction for the future. Including various sub programs such as an aquarium for the promotion of marine conservation and the likes. The thesis aims to establish new boundaries with respect to the program, context and understanding. The cruise terminal acts as not only a center for the rich but also a cradle for the overall development of the port city of Gwadar.