Kerala - Alappuzha   

Houseboats ride a U.S. wave

A. Harikumar

IN DEMAND: Houseboat operators in Alappuzha district are happy with more tourists enjoying a ride on the backwaters.

ALAPPUZHA: The houseboat tourism industry in Alappuzha is being buoyed by the increasing number of U.S. tourists arriving here this season.

While the number of foreign tourists arriving here for pleasure trip on houseboats increased by around 15 per cent during the first half of the current season compared to the previous season, the increase in the number of U.S. tourists is more than 20 per cent, say industry leaders.

Jojy Mathew, director of Rainbow Cruises, and V.C. Zacharia, managing partner of Lakes and Lagoons Tour and executive committee member of association of houseboat owners, said though the tourists from Europe formed a majority of customers of the houseboat operators here, the number of U.S. tourists had increased considerably in recent years.

Mr. Jojy Mathew said tourists from the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Italy formed a majority of tourists arriving here even now but the number of high-end tourists from the U.S. had shown a steady rise.

"The increase in the number of U.S. tourists arriving here is significant this time," he added.

"Though the industry had not made a specific study of the factors alluring U.S. visitors, a general view was that improving Indo-U.S. trade relations, especially in the software and business process outsourcing industry was attracting more U.S. citizens to India and arrival of more U.S. tourists was a part of it," said Mr. Mathew.

He said a large number of U.S. tourists arrived here as a part of extended business trips.

A majority of them were industrialists and professionals who arrived in Mumbai and Bangalore for business purposes and extended their stay for a day's trip on a houseboat.

Mr. Zacharia said promotional works of the State Tourism Department and improved facilities offered by the houseboats were attracting more high-end U.S. tourists.

He pointed out that comfort levels and safety standards of the houseboats had considerably improved during the last few years.

Mr. Zacharia said the spurt in arrival of foreign tourists compensated the setbacks faced by the tourism industry during the beginning of the season here because of the chikungunya outbreak. He said domestic tourists were also arriving in good numbers.

Industry leaders said young professionals working in various service sectors formed a considerable number of domestic tourists at present.

They said a large number of professionals from software companies in Bangalore now opted for houseboat rides on their vacations.

The houseboat industry alleged that the Government, which promised exemption for the houseboat industry from service tax and luxury tax during the beginning of the tourism season because of the chikungunya outbreak had not kept its promise.

While the Government declared exemption, the tax authorities were asking for tax pointing out that the Government had not issued orders, said Mr. Zacharia.

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Houseboats ride a U.S. wave

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