The Hindu : Kerala News : Panic grips travel, hospitality sectors

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 28, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Panic grips travel, hospitality sectors

By S. Anil Radhakrishnan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, DEC. 27. The tsunami phenomenon that lashed the coastal areas of the State on Sunday has created panic in the travel trade and hospitality sector with all beach resorts being declared out of bounds for the tourists.

The Light House, Eve's and Samudra beaches in the famed beach resort of Kovalam, Shanghumughom in the capital and other beaches south of Kovalam, which are crowded during this time, wore a deserted look. Domestic tourists from the North, Ayappa pilgrims and others who arrive unknowingly make a quick retreat after being alerted.

Beach tourism

Tourism sources feared that the calamity in Kollam, Alappuzha and Kanyakumari districts will affect beach tourism, which has been the thrust area of Kerala Tourism over the years.

Majority of the tourists opt for "sun and beach'' packages and prefer to stay in beach resorts, especially in Chowara, Kovalam, Varkala and Marari in Alappuzha.

In and around Kovalam alone, there are 25 beach resorts.

The incident has come as a shock at a time when the travel trade and hospitality sector were anticipating a good tourist season this year in view of the good bookings received. All the resorts and hotels, including budget hotels, were fully booked till the middle of January next.

Travel trade sources said cancellations had been reported mainly in hotels dotting the beaches in Kovalam, resort at Marari and backwater resorts. The president of the Kovalam unit of the Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association, G. Sudhiesh Kumar said cancellations had even been received from Bangalore.

The tour operators had been flooded with telephone calls and mails asking whether the beaches are safe and whether it is safe to come down to the State in the next couple of days. Many tourists who had checked into the resorts and hotels dotting the beaches and backwaters are approaching city-based hotels to shift as fear has gripped them.

The Director of Tourism, T. O. Sooraj, told The Hindu that the phenomenon might affect tourism as beach tourism had been the thrust area of Kerala Tourism.

"We are sure that we can overcome the situation and that it will be a good tourist season."

Coastal alert

A coastal alert had been issued taking into account the safety of the tourists and life-guards had been posted round-the-clock in all major beaches frequented by tourists.

All beach resorts had been asked not to allow tourists to enter the beach and to venture into the sea in view of the alert issued by the authorities.

The Chairman of the Kerala chapter of the Indian Association of Tour Operators, E.M. Najeeb, said there was scepticism among the tour operators in Europe and that they were adopting a wait and watch policy. Mr. Najeeb said the tour operators abroad had been asked to convey that the destination is safe for tourists and that we have other tourism products to offer apart from the beaches.

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