KOCHI:When the incessant rain and deluge wrecked havoc in Kerala,Fort Kochi saw its prospects crumbling. Though the floods didn’t affect the beach town directly, the sharp decline in tourist inflow came as a huge blow to the traders and shop owners, leaving them in a state of distress.
With even domestic tourists ditching Fort Kochi due to safety reasons, tourist guides and auto drivers are struggling to make ends meet.
Every street in the town wears a stranded outlook. “For street vendors like us, the bustling crowd is the only solace. We are yet to see anything close to that after floods,” said Ali. Pointing at the deserted pathway, he added, “People are scared to visit after the rain. We have no other option but to wait till everything comes back to normal.”
“We used to have at least the migrant workers as customers before. After most of them went back, the lone hope is also gone. Only very few domestic tourists visit these days,” says Maniyan, a crafts shop owner.
Sharing a similar sentiment, Shameer, an auto driver plying in Fort Kochi said, “I used to work as a tourist guide. Let alone foreigners, even the Kochiites are hardly come here. The situation is quite severe. If you have a side-business, you can somehow manage.”
Silver lining
Despite the slowdown, the officials are optimistic about the upcoming season. With many plans on the anvil, they are promising better days ahead. “We are initiating marketing campaigns to spread the message that Kerala is a safe destination for tourists. The department has given special emphasis to attract both national and international travellers. Though we may not able to achieve the last year’s inflow, we are trying our best to increase the numbers,” said Nandakumar K P, Kerala Tourism Joint Director.
“As the major destination of Ernakulam, we are giving special attention to Fort Kochi’s development. We are coordinating with Cochin Smart Mission Limited to implement various projects,” added Nandakumar.
The corporation authorities are also pinning their hopes on the revival of the sector.
“As it is state-wide phenomena, we cannot do anything exclusively for Fort Kochi. But there is a gradual surge in domestic tourists. We are maintaining the existing facilities in a clean and tidy manner,” says Shiny Mathew, chairperson, Town Planning, Kochi Corporation.