THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Signalling a shift from tall announcements and innovative tourism products, the budget gives major thrust on improving basic infrastructure at tourism destinations across the state. An amount of Rs 159 crore has been allocated for developing and modernising basic infrastructure amenities at tourism centres.
The overall outlay for the tourism sector has been increased from last year’s Rs 385.02 crore to Rs 413.52 crore. The enhanced allocation targets priority areas. However, industry stakeholders expressed mixed reactions. Several long-pending promises, including granting industry status to the tourism sector, setting up exhibition-cum-convention centres in Kochi, Kozhikode, and Thiruvananthapuram, and announcing new tourism-focused projects centred around Kochi, remain unaddressed in the budget.
Welcoming the increased allocations for tourism marketing, president of Kerala Travel Mart Jose Pradeep said, “Overall the budget is good and gives a lot of thrust for basic infrastructure developments. The government has earmarked Rs 85 crore for marketing which is Rs 3 crore more compared to last year’s allocation.”
The budget gives priority to promoting heritage and cultural tourism, tourism infrastructure development, destination challenge projects, development of tourism hubs and scaling up marketing initiatives.The budget has sanctioned Rs 20 crore to support the activities of RT Mission.
E M Najeeb, president of the Confederation of Kerala Tourism Industry, said that the demand for industry status for the tourism segment was not considered in the budget. “We have been demanding this for a very long time. Also one of our other proposals was setting up exhibition centres in three cities. Overall the budget is good and it would have been better if these proposals were included,” said Najeeb.