THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Who wouldn’t love a working vacation where you can enjoy the misty mountains or the sandy beach? The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) had introduced a unique initiative ‘work from hotel’ in association with the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC), two months ago. However, the KTDC hotels in the district said the initiative failed to garner positive response from the public.
The work from hotel packages included places such as Thiruvananthapuram, Kumarakom, Wayanad, Kochi, and Alappuzha where the professionals could relax without compromising on their work. “Working away from the typical office setup has become the new normal. As per the concept, people could pick from among the hotels listed under their favourite destinations in the state,” said a KTDC official. Tourists can use the package for a minimum of five nights which can be booked online through the IRCTC website or IRCTC tourism mobile app, the official added.
Though many tourist destinations have been reopened, tourists don’t prefer to work from hotels due to lockdown restrictions and mandatory RT-PCR tests. “During June and July, many domestic tourists come to Ponmudi hill station. Rooms used to be fully occupied during these months. However, ever since the pandemic outbreak, there has been a drastic fall in tourist footfall. Though we reopened a few weeks back, the entry has been restricted to only those who book rooms in the resort,” said Josh Kumar of Golden Peak Hill Resort, Ponmudi.
Mandatory RT-PCR test and vaccination certificate has led many tourists to avoid travel. “Last year, we had received many guests when the hotels provided quarantine facilities. But, since home quarantine has been allowed, we have lost those guests. Now, the guests should take a mandatory RT-PCR test at least 72 hours before the travel and should have completes their vaccination,” said an official with Hotel Samudra in Kovalam.