KOCHI: The state’s tourism sector is facing the heat as the coronavirus infection continues to spread alarmingly across the country. Given that the travel and tourism industry is solely relying on domestic tourists in these Covid times, the latest surge in new cases has pushed the sector into further crisis. The impact is deeper as the summer vacation is the favourite period for domestic tourists. With restrictions imposed on international tourists, Kerala Tourism had focused on campaigns targeting tourists from other states this summer.
Paulose Mathew, chairman of the Travel Agents Federation of India (TAFI) Kerala chapter, said cancellations of packages are being reported following the Covid surge.“The tourism sector in Kerala was on the road to recovery with tourists from other states visiting from December 2020 to March 2021. But the recovery process has come to a standstill. Tourism operators now fear they will have to face another crisis,” he said.
Though the number of Covid cases in Kerala is less compared to some other states, there is an unfounded perception among tourists from other states that the situation is worse here, Paulson said. “With the summer business having collapsed, we are pinning hopes on the festival season beginning from September,” he said. E M Najeeb, senior vice president of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) and past president of the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM), said the state’s tourism sector will recover only by 2022 given the current situation. Government policy is also to blame for pulling tourism into such a crisis, he said.
“Why is the state government concerned about restrictions for only the travel and tourism sector? There was no restriction during the election period. Events happened with large crowds gathering at venues. While Kerala Tourism is carrying out campaigns for attracting domestic tourists, it has also set stringent guidelines restricting the arrival of tourists.
The industry will now have to rely on travellers within the state for business,” he said.Homestay operators also anticipate troubled days ahead. M P Sivadathan, director of the Kerala Homestays and Tourism Society (HATS), said people are afraid of travelling with even those who took the Covid-19 vaccine contracting the disease.