By: Staff Writer Colombo (LNW): With a steady increase in vessels calling at the Hambantota International Port (HIP), and the port’s industrial park attracting numerous FDI projects, HIP has tied up with Royale Electronics (Pvt) Ltd to establish a duty-free shop in their bonded area. The agreement was signed last year and the new facility was opened for operations recently. “The Duty Free Facility will be a new value addition, directly for cruise ships, since most vessels calling at the port rarely have crew or passengers moving beyond the customs/immigration area. We believe even passengers and crews of cruise ships will see the advantage of shopping within the port’s bonded area. Especially so, since our duty free complex partner plans to offer very competitive prices,” says Johnson Liu, CEO of HIPG adding that the port has to date signed over 40 project agreements with various investors which is bound to increase movement at HIP. HIP is also positioning itself for cruise ship tourism and is expected to triple calls in 2023.Royale Electronics (Pvt) Ltd., a Sri Lankan company incorporated in 1997, envisions expanding its network across all connecting & international airports and seaports in Sri Lanka. Oliver Fernando, Chairman/MD of Royale Electronics says, “They plan to supply a wide range of the highest quality duty free items to ship crews and passengers calling at the Hambantota International Port, and the partnership will bring us closer to our mission of positioning as the leading duty free operator across all Sri Lankan Ports.” The Hambantota International Port (HIP) launched its Duty Free Complex with the opening of two duty free shops within the port’s premises. The complex is designed to grow the duty-free business catering to the vessels calling HIP. The first two operators to set up at HIP’s duty free complex are Royale Electronics and United Life, both organisations with over 30 years of experience in the duty free trade. They offer a wide array of international duty free goods ranging from imported liquor, confectionery, perfumes, tobacco, etc. As HIP gears it to facilitate an increased number of passenger cruise vessels calling at the port, both Duty Free Shop operators will be an essential value addition to overseas passengers and crews. Apart from contributing towards uplifting tourism in the country by promoting cruise liner calls, the port is rapidly progressing in its development of port services, such as the industrial park, marine services, energy hub and integrated logistics; which will automatically increase tourist and investor footfall and require more end-to-end services to be offered.