THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Even as the tourism sector frantically tries to recover from the blow left by the pandemic, the 48-hour nationwide general strike called by various trade unions has further left the industry and stakeholders in low spirits. Even as the organisers said tourists would be exempted, tourists were stopped in various parts of the state from travelling and tourism went into limbo.
Jose Dominic, a tourism stakeholder and co-founder of CGH Earth, says that the 48- hour strike has further brought a bad name to the state, with many conferences getting cancelled at the last moment and travellers being forced to make changes to find new destinations.
“Many conferences had to be cancelled at the last moment and travellers had to re-route and choose other destinations. The strike brought in a bandh feel in Kerala and this phenomenon is seen only in Kerala. It has brought a very bad name to the state. The government has over the years said that the tourism industry would be exempted but it is never carried into action,” said Jose Dominic.
Remarking that the recent strike has been disastrous for the industry, he said that it has marred the image of the state as a tourism destination. He says that he is worried over the ‘militant’ trade unionism which he says happened in major parts of the state when the trade union members went around threatening hoteliers and houseboat owners not to open.
“The way trade union “goons” have stopped motorists and travellers and acted shows that Kerala isn’t civilised anymore,” he added. The same sentiments were shared by other tourism stakeholders as well. The exemptions ‘announced’ by the trade union members to foreign travellers have further irked the stakeholders. According to Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) secretary Jose Pradeep, other tourist destinations and travel service providers in those regions are making use of the situation.
“We don’t have foreign tourists now. All we have are the domestic tourists who are forced to look for other destinations. There have been many cancellations across all tourism spheres. The industry is just recovering from the pandemic and the floods and many other destinations are reaping from the bookings we lose out due to the bandh prevalent in Kerala during strikes,” said Jose Pradeep.
The state has been pitched as a 365-day holidaying destination but the impression given to travellers isn’t so, said Manu P V, secretary, Association of Tourism Trade Association (ATTOI). “Many tourists were stopped, and many houseboats were stopped from operating. I am here in Bengaluru for a tourism marketing programme and we are at a loss to convince the agents here. They are all aware of what is happening in Kerala, Tourists will think twice before choosing Kerala again if it is to continue like this,” said Manu.
Tourism is a major industry that brings in revenue to the tune of Rs 45,000 crore, the total shutdown forced upon by union members is going to wreck the industry. Tourism stakeholders have called for urgent intervention from the government and sought it to walk the talk and exempt the industry from strikes.
“We had given representations to the government a week before the strike to ensure that the industry isn’t affected. The message does not get passed onto the trade union members.We should be worried about the travellers at the receiving end of the strike and become negative ambassadors of the state,” says Abraham George, former KTM president and MD of Intersight Tours and Travels.
Call for extension
Tourism stakeholders have called for urgent intervention from the government and sought it to walk the talk and exempt the industry from strikes. “We had given representations to govt a week before the strike to ensure that the industry isn’t affected. The message did not get passed onto the trade union members who block the travellers,” says Abraham George, former KTM president