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Gloomy tourism season?
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Tourism doesn’t look as bright a sector as it did earlier. Recession has robbed the industry of its high growth. Priyadershini S. takes a dekko at the current scene
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Photo: Vipin Chandran
Lonesome? Restaurants and hotels are bracing themselves for a lean tourist season ahead
When the bubble burst on Wall Street businesses everywhere in the world gauged their own situations. In faraway Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, the tourism world sailed through, knowing well that the implications of the economic big bang will be felt in
six to eight months down the road. The distance has been done and we are closer to the first season in downturn era. What are we to expect? Are we ready? Can we hold out or do we see the sunset on some businesses?
“The honeymoon is definitely over,” said Ramesh Menon, the owner of the popular eatery ‘Dal Roti’ at Fort Kochi. He claims that his domestic clientele will ensure a smooth sail and tourists are a bonus for him. “The most affected businesses will be those that depend mainly on foreign tourists whose arrivals will be lower due to the meltdown,” he adds Going by the enquiries and bookings with travel agents, homestays and hotels, there is definitely little to cheer about. Flowery David of Delight Homestay reports only a maximum of two enquiries by mail as against the over six that she used to receive in a day. Sejoe Jose of Marvel Travels says that in the previous years a clear picture of the coming season would unfold by the middle of the year but this time it looks pretty undecided. “We cannot expect a 20 per cent growth rate to continue. We may do a flat, same as last year, or a ten per cent drop,” he says claiming that back to back boom years have spoilt us. So which kind of travellers will go missing this time? The back packers who took a sabbatical from work will definitely go missing. Nobody wants to risk their job, is the immediate truth but another confident hotel owner claims his guests to be “recession proof.” Relaxation, ayurveda therapy and vacations are needed in these stressful times, he reasons.
“We have seen many offs and peaks but this time we are a bit anxious,” says R. D’costa, manager of Indian Arts and Curios in Jew town. They are established dealers of artefacts and know the trends well. Sunny L. Malayil of Crafters, another major dealer of handicrafts and antiques from the area, is more categorical. “Business has shrunk by 20 per cent.” It is because their dealers in the West have been affected by the downturn. He does not see a U turn in the next six months. According to him NRI retail is down and the Mumbai buyers too are not shopping, perhaps because of the share market crash. “It is all inextricably linked,” he explains.
A raised fear factor and nervousness tinged with anxiety is palpable but the new scenario will see changing social patterns and the emergence of a new market.
The domestic traveller, who was earlier given short shrift, as against the dollar guests will become prime. “When I opened my doors to domestic travellers I was in for a pleasant surprise,” said Flowery, smiling. She says that as a contrast to the foreign tourist the Indian traveller always insists on TV in the room and is always on their cell phone!
“It will be a buyer’s market,” says an insider revealing that the shopper can ask and get the price he wishes for in rooms, artefacts and boat rides too! Small and new businesses will be more hit than established ones. An industry as fragile as this, where a terror alert or an odd swine flu case, an unfavourable travel advisory can change the whole picture, the city’s small but vibrant hosts are ready and waiting. The popular snake charmer may find the going tough with high end travellers missing, those who paid him the moon for posing with his python round their neck. The auto rickshaws who caught the fancy of the foreigners may fine fewer takers but then as one storekeeper said, “We are all prepared for the slide this time, but one hopes it will be just one season.” Well, just one season before it is once again a season in the sun.
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