Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Capital to play host to Tourism Week in December

Staff Reporter

Onam Week celebrations to be revamped

Thiruvananthapuram: Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said that the Government has chalked out time-bound programmes for the development of the tourism sector and to attract tourists to the State.

Onam Week celebrations will be held in Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi, Kozhikode and all district headquarters this year. The week-long celebrations will be revamped from 2007 as part of attracting domestic tourists.

Tourism Week celebrations will be held in the capital towards the end of December this year to attract foreign tourists to the State and to coincide with the New Year celebrations.

Addressing the staff of Kerala Tourism on the Park View campus in the capital on Monday, the Minister said the Government would protect the public sector and attract investment by the private sector for creating infrastructure facilities in the tourism sector and attracting tourists to the State. The Government's policy is to encourage private sector investment. It is of the opinion that development of the tourism sector cannot be achieved with the budget allocation from the State and the Union Governments.

Pointing out that several persons had evinced interest in investing in the tourism sector,

Mr. Balakrishnan said necessary directions had been given to tourism officials to provide all assistance to those coming forward to invest. He asked the staff to be courteous to potential investors and render all assistance to them.

The Government will give more importance to public sector undertakings and at the same time encourage private sector investment. The Minister said the working of the State-owned Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC), which owns the largest chain of hotels in the State, would be improved.

Immense scope

The Minister said Tourism had immense scope for development in the State. It can also solve to an extent the unemployment problem as investment in the tourism sector can generate jobs in a big way. The increase in domestic and foreign tourist arrivals to the State will result in earnings for the tourism industry and to the State.

Kerala Tourism has chalked out plans to promote health, adventure and monsoon tourism. Students from schools and colleges in the State are proceeding to neighbouring States for study tour. This trend should change and places of historic interest in Kerala should be developed to attract the younger generation, he added.

Earlier, the Minister attended meetings of the Advisory Committee on Medical Tourism and that of the Kerala Travel Mart Society. Principal Secretary, Tourism, E. K. Bharat Bhushan; Director, Kerala Tourism, B. Suman; Director Ecotourism, K. G. Mohanlal; president of the society, Jose Dominic; and member of the advisory committee on Medical Tourism, E.M. Najeeb; were among those present.

This is the first visit of Mr. Balakrishnan to the Tourism Directorate after becoming Minister.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Youth's death: protest in front of medical college mortuary
Minister visits Valiathura, Veli
Capital to play host to Tourism Week in December
Panels to probe lapses in coop. sector
Zacharia gifts journal collection
Call to develop neutraceutical products
Coast Guard dispels fears
Around the City
In Thiruvananthapuram Today

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu