The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Tourism trade readies development plan

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Sunday, Mar 27, 2011
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Tourism trade readies development plan

S. Anil Radhakrishnan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A minister exclusively for tourism, direct flights to Europe, priority to road development, four-lane road connectivity to destinations and emphasis on sustainable and quality tourism are given thrust in the tourism development plan 2011-2016.

The plan has been worked out for sustainable growth of the tourism sector over the next five years. The Association of Tourism Trade Organisations India (ATTOI) will submit the plan to the new government after the April 13 elections.

The plan will be submitted to the new government and we want the key areas to be discussed among the trade and the other stakeholders, an official of ATTOI told The Hindu.

The industry has grown to a level where there are many opportunities and threats and timely action is necessary to take the sector forward. The development plan has mooted that a senior minister should be given the Tourism portfolio. It has been pointed out that Kerala has failed to tap the potential of inbound tourism due to non-availability of direct flights to European source markets. Tourists have to take flights via the Gulf and it is very difficult to get seats on these flights. Many tourists are changing their itinerary to visit the State due to non-availability of direct flights.

Air India and the low-cost carrier Air India Express should start direct flights to Europe and Australia from airports in the State. If Air India Express can start a London- Male- Thiruvananthapuram flight, it will enable more tourists visiting the Maldives to take extended tour to Kerala and provide sufficient load for the carrier.

The ATTOI seeks priority to road development as free flow of vehicles is not possible on the roads in the State. The majority of foreign tourists are from the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Australia and the Scandinavian countries, which do not have single lane traffic.

The NH stretches in the State should have carriageway of 45 metres and road development should be as per international standards.

Four-lane connectivity should be ensured to all tourist destinations in the State and proper signage as per international standards to destinations, airports, bus terminals, railway stations and places of interest have been mooted in the plan.

Quality tourism

With the increase in domestic tourists during the last five years, there is an increase in the number of service providers.

This has resulted in the entry of many unqualified service providers in houseboats, resorts, tour operators and ayurveda centres.

To ensure that quality service is provided and the tourists have a hassle-free holiday, the ATTOI has suggested that recruitment of trained staff in houseboats and ayurveda centres be made mandatory. The Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS) should start more short-term courses to meet the demand for trained professionals.

The non-availability of guides speaking French, German, Russian and Italian has made it difficult to get tourists from non-English speaking countries.

In the plan, a committee comprising persons from the Tourism Department and tourism trade has been suggested to check the quality of service providers.

Hartals

The development plan highlighted the negative impact of hartals and strikes on the sector and the bad image to the State and inconveniences to tourists.

There are many operators who are not promoting Kerala because of the frequent strikes and hartals. Many tour operators end up paying huge amount as compensation because of the problems faced by the tourists during strikes.

Tourist vehicles should be exempted from hartals, strikes and agitations by the trade unions in the motor vehicle sector.

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