Click to play videoVarkala (Kerala): The exotic beaches that dot the Kerala coastline are expected to see a 20-25 per cent cut in the influx of foreign tourists. As cancellation requests start coming in, the industry fears losing nearly Rs 3,000 crore in the current season.
President of Confederation of Kerala Tourism Industry Najeeb said, “From January onwards it will completely slowdown and the coming year we will be badly hit.”
While Kovalam and Varkala beaches still have regular tourists, the costlier houseboats find few takers.
Most of the tourists that one now sees in Kerala are those who booked their stay before the global slowdown set in. And these tourists know chances of them revisiting God's Own Country are now slim.
Cliff Green, a tourist from Liverpool said, “I know a few people who wanted to go on holiday and haven't done because of the financial crisis.”
The Kerala government is now trying its best to attract tourists from Eastern countries that have been less affected by the economic turmoil. Even as the government tries to woo tourists from Singapore, Malaysia and even Australia, domestic travellers offer hope for Kerala.
Secretary, state Tourism Department, Dr Venu said, “We are trying to do two things. One is to become more competitive in the market and second part would be to concentrate on our domestic market.”
If Kerala wants to attract tourists in these difficult times, maybe it's time it came up with more innovative and pocket-friendly packages.
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