Guest houses in Kerala to be renovated for attracting more tourists
Kerala’s serene hill stations, backwaters and beaches have been attracting tourists from all over the world. The tourism department’s efforts have always been to make Kerala as an ideal destination for Bollywood flicks. However, what always happen is that the directors end up in using the abandoned, fear-injecting guest houses and bungalows for the horror flicks. Finally, the tourism department has decided to put an end to this and promote these destinations in a proper way.
As of now, the guest houses are mainly used by the government officials and local tourists. The tourism department’s plan is to make foreign tourists use these guest houses regularly. The infrastructure facilities at different guest houses will be modified. The plans include building 34 rooms at Kerala House’s location in Kanyakumari. The tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran had already introduced stylish signboards, menu card, linen, table mat, curtains, crockery and cutlery as an initiative to boost tourism.
“Our plan is to acquire ISO 22000 certification by the end of this financial year. The tourism department has 24 guest houses and 13 Yatri Nivas properties across the state. Becoming ‘ISO 22000 certified’ will exhibit their customers that they have a food safety management mechanism and a benchmarked hospitality infrastructure in place. The guest houses will acquire a completely new look. All aspects of the guest houses, right from the logo and signboards to the cutlery and bed linen, will match international standards. Cashless transactions will soon be the standard in all guest houses and Yatri Nivas properties. The main guest houses in major towns and cities of the state will have Wi-Fi connection,” said Tourism Director P Balakiran IAS.