The Hindu : Kerala / Kottayam News : Tsunami hits State's tourism

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

Kerala

Kerala - Kottayam

Tsunami hits State's tourism

By Our Staff Reporter

KOTTAYAM, DEC. 27. Though almost all tourism spots in the State remained untouched in the devastation caused by the monster waves on Sunday, tourism industry in Kerala, which had an otherwise excellent year to start with, is in a state of shock.

With confused clients, cancelled new year programmes and reversals in near future bookings, prospects of downsizing of the entire business forecast looms large over one of the finest tourism spots in South Asia.

The effect may be compared to one which prevailed immediately after 9/11, said one tour operator.

What makes things complex is that India or Kerala in isolation, may not be able to do anything worthwhile to mend the damage as the entire south and South-East Asian tourism industry has been hit, he said.

In a case of panic reaction (which is expected to snowball in the next few days) two groups of tourists who had arrived as part of the earliest chartered flights this season, have cancelled their New Year programmes. They were here for the past two months as part of the Kerala package. Several hotels in Munnar had their rooms booked till August and tour operators who were expecting the groups by January and February are in a fix. Another team of European tourists have also cancelled their New Year programme on the lake.

Some of the international flight operators said they are experiencing massive cancellation of tickets to Sri Lanka and Thailand. However, destinations like Kuala Lumpur and Singapore experienced only marginal reversal.

The projected growth of tourism industry this year had been put at 5.6 per cent compared to the 3.6 per cent last year. Tourist arrivals were expected to exceed the three-lakh mark for the first time. The first half of the financial year, which is comparatively a lean period, had experienced a 20 per cent increase in arrivals and it was expected that during the `season' this would touch the 30 per cent mark.

In fact, all indicators pointed to a buoyant season this year. It was `Houseful' signs at hotels at all the major tourism spots like Kovalam, Munnar, Kumarakom, Thekkady, Alappuzha and Lakkidy till March 2005. The houseboats at Kumarakom and Alappuzha were also booked till February. However, the mood at the major hotels have changed dramatically during the past 24 hours with the clients still in the dark about the fate of their friends who had move to other spots in south and South East Asia.

Industry sources said they were concerned about the situation, which may emerge in places like Sri Lanka, parts of Thailand and certain areas in India where prospects of epidemics looms large. This may have an adverse impact on the tourism industry in other places in the region, they said. The silver lining on an otherwise dark horizon is the fact that the tourism industry in Kerala has been patronised by domestic tourists in large numbers.