ALAPPUZHA: Major tourism destinations in the state are witnessing a drastic decrease in the arrival of tourists in the peak season due to rising heat and elections in various states. Over 50 per cent of houseboats in Alappuzha, a major tourist destination in the state, are anchored at mooring terminals due to a lack of booking.
Munnar, Gavi, and other major locations are also facing a shortage of tourists. Biju K, general manager of Kerala Houseboats Online, a cruise operator in Alappuzha, said that April-May is a peak season of tourist arrivals both domestic and international.
Last year 80 to 90% of houseboats were booked during the peak season. However, the company has not received any bookings this week. We expect the bookings will increase by the weekend. During daytime the heat on the surface of the lake is high. So travellers find it difficult to sit in the open spaces of houseboats. Only tourists can stay inside the airconditioned room or hall. So the majority of people skip cruising during daytime. There are only a few bookings for day and night cruises. Only 30 to 40% of bookings are happening in the past few weeks,” Biju said.
A top officer of the tourism department said that the number of footfalls declined this April. The same trend is being observed in May. Rising heat is a major factor hindering tourists in backwaters and hill stations. Meanwhile, the general election has also led to the decline,” the officer said.
Hotel owners and tourism department officials in Idukki said that the trend does not augur well for the sector. Idukki DTPCouncil secretary Jithesh Jose said that April- May is the peak season in Munnar. “In previous years it was difficult to get rooms in and around Munnar during the peak of summer. But this time a large number of hotel rooms are lying vacant in Munnar. There is not much rush in major tourist spots in the hill station during daytime. Tourists are seen only in the morning and evening. The DTPC has opened a glass bridge in Vagamon which is attracting tourists. The crowd is high in the morning and evening,” Jithesh said.
Gavi, another major tourism destination in Central Kerala, is also facing the same crisis.
An employee of KTDC in Thekkady said that the occupancy rate is less the 40% compared to last year. “There is a major dip in domestic tourist arrivals, mainly from other states. In previous years, a large number of tourists arrived from Gujarat and other north Indian states. However this time it is very less. One reason may be the election in various states. Rising heat is also deterring travellers. The temperature inside Thekkady forest was 36 degree Celsius last week. At the same time, the room temperature stood at 32 degrees Celsius. Most of the tourists are asking about air-conditioners. But many hotels don’t have AC, because the climate was extremely cold and there was no need for AC in the past years. But the situation is changing,” he said.