KOCHI: While nothing new to the state’s denizens, the statewide strike called on Wednesday, has worried a Kochi-based tour managing company. Reason: More than 1,200 tourists aboard the Italian cruise liner Costa neoClassica, will disembark at the Kochi port on the day as part of their Indian tour to visit the state’s much-advertised tourists spots, especially Alappuzha and Kumbalangi, via road.
Sensing trouble owing to the strike, the travel agency Lotus DMC, which is managing the trip, has approached the Tourism Department which has ordered the District Collector to provide adequate police protection to the tourists, who have come from Germany, Italy, France and Spain. “We are concerned about the safety of our guests. Any untoward incident will prove detrimental to the Cruise tourism to Kochi and will portray Kerala in poor light in the international market. “We have approached the government for providing necessary protection to the visiting tourists,” said Sanjeev Kumar, managing director of Lotus DMC.
Costa neoClassica will be arriving from Mangaluru port and will travel to the Maldives from Kochi on Wednesday evening. “The tourism department has asked the Ernakulam District Collector to provide adequate security so that the statewide strike does not affect the tourists. We hope the police will arrange convoy for the protection of our guests. We are not expecting any negative incident on Wednesday,” Sanjeev told Express.