Tourism sector in troubled waters- The New Indian Specific

Express message service

KOCHI: Kochi’s tourism sector received an unexpected jolt with the second wave of Covid-19. With the industry suffering huge losses during last year’s lockdown, boat owners and other stakeholders had hoped to capitalize on the surge in tourist arrivals this holiday season

Varghese K, a tourist boat owner from Mattancherry, has been busy for the past few months.
He was renovating his 35-person passenger boat and had his hopes for the upcoming holiday season to overcome the losses he suffered from the lockdown last year. However, his expectations were shaken by the second wave of the pandemic.

In fact, the entire tourism sector has felt the heat of the pandemic again: “It is frustrating to realize that the effort and money we have put into revitalizing our business may have been in vain. Life has come to a standstill since the lockdown last year. Those who depend on us have also suffered. If not Covid, poverty would cost many lives if things continued like this, ”says Varghese.

Many have decided to leave the tourism sector forever. “For many of us it is unimaginable to suffer a deep loss for two years in a row. Some of us have already started some minor work and are considering migrating to cities like Bengaluru and Chennai for better opportunities, ”said Antony PV, a boater.

Thanks to the surge in Covid cases, many local tourists are canceling their trips to the state. “We had expected a lively holiday season from April to May. However, the unexpected surge in Covid cases has messed up our plans. With international tourists staying away due to travel restrictions, many of us had our hopes on local tourists, particularly from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Now, with the mandatory quarantine policy, the footprint will drop to an unprecedented low, ”said TK Faisal, a tourism broker.

Empty host families
Kochi’s host families also struggle to survive. “In the absence of international tourists, we looked forward to an influx of local tourists. We never thought that a second wave of the pandemic would wreck our business, ”said MP Sivadathan, director of the Kerala Homestay and Tourism Society (K-HATS).

There are 350 registered homestays and more than 2,000 unregistered homestays in Kerala. According to industry stakeholders, the long wait for the end of the movement restrictions has prompted city residents to take one-day trips to various tourist destinations since last November.

“People have gradually come to realize the need to live with Covid-19. To take advantage of this trend, our host families in hilly areas and backwaters have lowered prices to allow for maximum tourists. However, with the arrival of the second wave, things quickly changed. If the officials concerned do not allow us to conduct our business by following the Covid protocol, the sector will suffer irreparable damage, ”Sivadathan said.

“PUBLIC HEALTH IS A PRIORITY”

District Tourism Promotion Council officials made it clear that ensuring public safety will be their priority after the second wave of Covid-19. “The unexpected surge in Covid cases will have an impact on the revitalization of the tourism sector. We were gradually recovering from the damage caused by the lockdown caused by Covid last year. We opened our destinations with restricted access from November 2020 and were heavily frequented on the weekends.

However, we don’t have many options. Public health will be our priority during these testing times, ”said a DTPC official. Before there was an unprecedented surge in Covid cases, the tourism department had planned several packages such as: B. Trips to various locations in the district and nearby locations. The packages included trips to places like Thattekkad-Boothathankettu, Kochi City Tour, Alappuzha-Fort Kochi, Kochi-Athirappilly as well as Munnar and Thekkady.

As part of increased measures to combat Covid-19, the department now only allows 200 people to travel to tourist destinations across the state at the same time. The department has also restricted entry of children and seniors to these areas. “If the cases continue to increase, we will be forced to take tough measures,” the official said.