THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Travelling is one of the most preferred ways of people to unwind themselves after a hectic schedule. But the tourism sector would be the first sector which would feel the heat in the event of a disaster or pandemic. In the present situation, it is not possible to estimate the extent of the impact of Covid on the economy of the state which heavily depends on tourism because the course and duration of the pandemic are still unknown. New Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas speaks about the challenges and opportunities of tourism industry. Excerpts.
In Kerala, over 15 lakh people are engaged directly and 20 lakh indirectly in the tourism sector which had netted a total turnover of around Rs 45,000 crore in the 2019-20 fiscal, contributing around 12 per cent of the GDP of the state.But the pandemic has pushed tourism in God’s own country to its knees. What are your immediate priorities to salvage the sector?
We cannot wait any longer to bring the sector back to its feet. Once the peak of the second wave of Covid is over, the tourist destinations in the state would be opened for tourists. We are in the process of making a plan of action to this effect and we are hopeful of opening the tourism sector during the monsoon season itself.
Before opening the sector, what measures will be taken by the state government to ensure the safety of people?
The first priority is the vaccination of frontline workers of tourism industry. We had a discussion on this with various stakeholders regarding the vaccination of frontline workers in the hospitality sector. And soon, this would be announced. Once the second outbreak of Covid is brought under control and frontline workers are vaccinated, the tourism destinations in the state would be opened in a phased manner.
Will you open all destinations for all tourists in the beginning?
In the beginning, domestic tourists would be allowed to visit the destinations. Once the international borders are opened, we would consider giving access to foreign tourists as well. So, the department is going to undertake a campaign to this effect -- first targeting the domestic tourists and later international tourists.
The tourism department had undertaken promotional activities that cost Rs 20 crore targeting monsoon tourists soon after the first wave. But things turned upside down when the second wave hit the country. So, is it wise to spend more money for campaigning even as the country is waiting for a third wave?
Our next step would be more cautious. We are moving ahead with the idea of vaccinating the frontline workers even before opening the destinations. There would be strict guidelines for tourists even after the reopening of destinations to ensure their safety.
Along with this, we would also be giving focus on clearing the apprehensions of tourists and will instill a sense of confidence among them to visit places adhering to Covid protocol.
Though the state government has announced a financial package for the affected people in the tourism sector, they are yet to get the benefit of the scheme. We are exploring ways to implement the financial package soon.