Kerala Tourism

KERALA

THE IMPACTOFTRAVEL &TOURISM

The development of the 1995 Kerala Tourism Policy is a clear indication that the

government of Kerala recognizes the contribution that Travel & Tourism can make to the

state’s economy, both in terms of wealth creation and employment generation.The steps

that have already been taken to harness the region’s tourism potential are a further

reflection of the government’s commitment to the industry.

Encourage greater market and product

diversification

Kerala’s greatest tourism assets include its beaches, its inland water

systems and its nature/wildlife reserves. In order to tap the full potential

of the beaches and backwaters for tourism, it is essential to have luxury

boats, cruise boats, houseboats and yachts. These will help Kerala attract

high-yield foreign and domestic visitors.WTTC has noticed that utility

vessels geared for local transport are frequently used to transport tourists

within the backwaters and along the coast.These modes of transport are

not appealing to the affluent tourist.

It is recommended that a concerted policy be adopted to permit

private entrepreneurs to import luxury sailing vessels from the Middle

East, Singapore and elsewhere. Financial assistance from institutions

should be encouraged and the central/state governments’ import taxes

should be significantly reduced to facilitate the process.

Market and product diversification should be a high priority for the

Kerala Government since it will enhance the destination’s

competitiveness and improve added value and yield.The state already has

a number of different tourism products that have proved popular with

domestic and foreign visitors. As a start, these can be expanded and

improved.The following provide some examples.

Coastal cruises

Luxury cruise boats would ensure the development of coastal travel,

eventually linking Kerala’s beaches and inland water destinations to the

Lakshadweep and Maldives islands, as well as to Sri Lanka and other parts

of Southeast Asia. The development of marinas would, in turn, attract

upmarket travellers visiting the region on their private yachts.

Luxury houseboats

Kerala has introduced the system of houseboats to harness the potential

of its backwaters. Unfortunately, quality houseboats are few and far

between.WTTC is aware that India’s finest houseboats, of every category,

are to be found on the Dal Lake in Kashmir. But, because of the poltical

problems in Kashmir, many of the houseboat builders and owners are out

of work, which causes enormous distress.

WTTC would therefore strongly recommend that the Government

of Kerala invite the houseboat builders/owners in Kashmir to create

similar houseboats and facilities in the backwaters of Kerala. In this way

two separate problems – affecting tourism in different parts of the

country – could be successfully addressed.

Water sports

WTTC has noted that facilities for water sports are relatively undeveloped

in Kerala. In order for the state to attract high-yield tourists to its beaches

and backwaters, private investment in water sports facilities should be

increased. 

What is needed is the full complement of facilities for every

type of water sports – water-skiing, water scooters, para-sailing, airborne

sailing, marine fishing and scuba diving.These sporting facilities should be

listed as priority areas for investment by foreigners and Keralites alike.

Ayurveda

Ayurveda – including massages and the use of medicinal herbs for

relaxation and rejuvenation purposes – has already become a major

attraction for tourists. 

The Kerala Government should ensure that all

centres practising Ayurveda are authorized by the Department of

Tourism and Health to function as such centres. More health/wellness

holidays could be packaged around Ayurvedic treatment and special

courses could be introduced to educate tourists about Ayurveda.

Kerala’s cuisine

Kerala boasts of some of the best seafood anywhere in the world – the

Malabar prawn, for example, is a quality name signifying the wealth of

the state’s seafood attraction.

 Unfortunately, most of the good quality

seafood is exported and not available to tourists in Kerala. It is

recommended that special catering and culinary institutes be created to

develop Kerala’s cuisine. Steps should also be taken to ensure there is

sufficient seafood for consumption by local tourists. This would be an

added attraction for Kerala and would pay rich dividends for the future.

Traditional festivals

The traditional Kerala festivals are colourful social events that reflect the

vibrant nature of the land and its people. Boat races in the backwaters

are majestic and the traditional art forms in the state are spectacular.

Kerala also has a rich and singular cultural heritage. These festivals

should be seen as a high-priority attraction for marketing and

promotion.

HIGHLIGHT THE STRATEGIC

IMPORTANCE OF TOURISM

Recognize Travel & Tourism’s impact across

the broader economy In 2003, expenditure by national, state and local governments on

Kerala’s Travel & Tourism will be around Rs1.4 billion (US$28.9

million) – a mere 1 per cent of total government expenditures.Over the

next decade, government’s contribution to Travel & Tourism is expected

to grow by only 0.1 percentage point to just 1.1 per cent of total

expenditure. This unwillingness by government to invest adequately in

Travel & Tourism clearly reflects its lack of appreciation of the industry’s

importance as a generator of wealth and employment. It also

undermines Travel & Tourism’s role as a catalyst for growth in other

areas such as retailing and construction, which would decline if demand

for Travel & Tourism were reduced.

WTTC recommends that the share of government expenditure in

Travel & Tourism be increased significantly over the next few years, so

that it is more in line with the forecast contribution of Travel & Tourism

to GDP and employment. The following shares highlight the greater

importance attributed to Travel & Tourism in some other

countries/states: Singapore, 9.1 per cent; Hong Kong, 7.4 per cent;

Malaysia, 5.1 per cent; Sri Lanka, 4.0 per cent; and China, 3.8 per cent.

Reconstitute Kerala’s policy-making system

In order to make Travel & Tourism the state’s primary economic driver,

it is necessary for the Chief Minister to be associated with the planning,

execution and maintenance of tourism projects. This is because the

development of tourism infrastructure involves decisions affecting a

variety of different disciplines such as public works, highways, power

and water systems, the constitution of development agencies, the

maintenance of law and order and security.Without the association of

the Chief Minister, decisions on a broad spectrum affecting tourism will

not be taken.

WTTC strongly recommends that a Cabinet Committee on

tourism be constituted under the chairmanship of the Chief Minister

and, with other important ministers as members. The Ministry of

Tourism would service the Cabinet Committee, whose decisions would

be final and would determine the execution of policy in this vital sector.

DEVELOP THE HUMAN CAPITAL

REQUIRED FOR GROWTH

Place a high priority on education and

training .The vast increase forecast in the manpower requirements of the tourism

industry will necessitate the creation of suitable training facilities, which

could equip the workforce with the skills required to handle

sophisticated foreign visitors. Special attention should be paid to placing

education and training at the forefront of Travel & Tourism

development, introducing it into the school curriculum and having

mid-career refresher courses to constantly upgrade skills.

Existing educational institutes, such as KITTS, KIHMS and

IHMCT, should be developed into ‘institutions of excellence’, and the

syllabi and training facilities of other institutions offering courses in

Travel & Tourism should be enhanced to ensure quality standards.

Continuous training programmes should also be organized to train the

various categories of people engaged in the tourism industry, such as

taxi drivers, cooks, waiters, guides, information office assistants, etc.

ENCOURAGE OPEN MARKETS AND

SKIES AND REMOVE BARRIERS TO

GROWTH

Improve airline access

One major hurdle to the rapid growth of tourism to Kerala is access.

The Government of India has a very restrictive air transport policy, and

existing bilateral air service agreements limit international flights to just

Thiruvananthapuram and Cochin, although a third airport – at

Kozhikode – is also considered to be an international one. At these

airports, foreign airlines are also restricted in terms of seat capacity as

determined by the national carriers.

As an example, Cochin airport has been in operation for four years

24 now, but services to the airport are severely limited to a handful of

foreign carriers. Emirates is one airline that has been unsuccessful in

obtaining rights for a daily service to Cochin. A much more liberal

approach is necessary to tap the full potential of these gateways to Kerala.