Despite worldwide road shows by the Tourism Department,the arrival of tourists recorded a negative growth during the beginning of the season, which started this October,.
Global economic recession and airfare hike were some of the reasons for tourists not preferring to travel to ‘God’s Own Country’ this season. Those in the tourism industry are hopeful that the situation will improve when the season reaches its peak during the next couple of months.
T Damu, vice-president, Taj Group of Hotels, said that there were less bookings in hotels during October compared to the previous year.
This month, the tourist bookings were 15 per cent less and the corporate meetings held in tourist destinations also decreased.
He pointed out that global recession and airfare hike resulted in the negative growth. He expressed hope that the tourism industry would get a boost from November onwards which would extend up to February.
E M Najeeb, chairman and managing director, Airtravel Enterprises Group of Companies, said that the airfare hike had affected the inflow of tourists.
New markets such as UAE were opened for Kerala in the last season and it would continue this year also.
“Those from the UAE are looking for more luxury and it should be made available here. The State Government had already started infrastructure development as part of the tourism policy and works in Kovalam had begun”, Najeeb said.
However, tourism director Rani George was hopeful that road shows would attract more tourists in the coming days. Road shows in the West Asia and European countries had already given results and more programmes are being organised by the end of this month.
“Campaigns to attract domestic tourists will bear fruits during the festival season in North India. The Kerala Travel Mart (KTM), which concluded recently in Kochi, was attended by the delegates from Ukraine, Poland and Russia and they expressed willingness to showcase Kerala in their countries to attract more tourists here,” Rani George said.
“The domestic bookings are steady for the pooja holidays from October 20 to 30,” said Paulose K Mathew, chairman, Travel Agents Federation of India - Kerala. Arrival of foreign tourists are also not less. More tourist flow is expected as the tourism season in Kerala is now being extended up to March and April.
The official meetings of corporate companies have come down as part of the global recession. Big companies from the Europe and the US, who found Kerala as a perfect destination for their meetings and family entertainment, have reduced their travel expenditure.
Mathew pointed out that as infrastructure is being developed in neighbouring countries, it is not happening in Kerala. “As new destinations are not being developed, tourists opt to visit Sri Lanka and Maldives, affecting the tourism industry in Kerala,” he said.
Comments
0 comment