Food poisoning and raids deal blow to hotel, tourism sectors in Kerala
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Back-to-back incidents of food poisoning across the state have dealt a huge blow to the tourism and hospitality sectors. Industry insiders said tourists are hesitant to try culinary specialities of Kerala or dine at hotels and restaurants in the wake of the food poisoning incidents.
Kerala Hotel and Restaurant Association (KHRA) president G Jayapal said the hotel industry suffered a 40% drop in business. “Hotel and tourism industries are interconnected. Visitors are hesitant to eat from restaurants at tourist destinations. This has hit us hard. We need to take corrective measures. At the same time, the government should handle the issue more responsibly,” he said.
Guides and tour operators bringing foreigners to the state have also expressed concern on the hygiene in the eateries. “We have warned our guests not to dine from small and medium eateries. Foreign guests love to try the local cuisine. It is high time the government takes steps to ensure good standards at eateries,” said Rajesh P R, a tour guide.
Meanwhile, KHRA came down heavily on the raids on eateries by local bodies. As per FSSAI (Food Safety and Standards Authority of India), only food safety officers under the Commissionerate of Food Safety can conduct raids and take legal action against businesses dealing with food. Jayapal said health squads under the local body do not have the right to confiscate or destroy food. “They can only inspect hygiene. We have urged the government to ensure the raids are held legally, by food safety officers,” he said.
Riyaz U C, the chairman of the Tourism Committee of FICCI (Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industries), said the government should strictly introduce health cards and implement all the decisions being taken to improve the situation in eateries.
“The issue hasn’t garnered global attention. The authorities should not escalate it. Negative news has left domestic tourists concerned about the food being served here,” said Riyaz.
Meanwhile, KHRA has decided to constitute hygiene monitoring committees in all districts to help and guide food business operators to achieve good standards. “The committee will start functioning in every district by February 12. We want to handle the situation better. The government cannot enforce the same terms and conditions for high-end and small hotels. Medium and small-scale hotels require more relaxation,” said Jayapal.