Kerala expects tourists to start visiting state in next 1-2 months: Minister Surendran
Kerala Tourism will increase its cooperation with other state tourism departments and the Central Government to avoid issues in inter-state travel, said Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran on Friday. The Minister said he expects tourists to start visiting Kerala Tourist Places in the next one or two months.
He was speaking at the concluding session of the two-day e-Conclave organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) with the participation of representatives from various states and the Central Government on the future of tourism.
In the first phase, ayurveda, eco-tourism and adventure tourism sectors will be strengthened within the state and then expanded to other states, Surendran said. The Minister said that an action plan is being formulated for the revival of the tourism sector and several assistance schemes are being considered for the partners and employees of the tourism industry.
Ayurveda needs to be given a lot of importance in terms of health care and healing during the Covid-19 era. Eco-tourism and adventure tourism will be promoted among domestic tourists, the Minister said. The State Government will support the Unified Guidelines and Code of Conduct formulated by the Central Government. The Minister said that these guidelines would be useful in reviving domestic tourism and thereby making India a valued destination.
The tourism sector in Kerala, which is facing an unprecedented decline, is slowly on the path of recovery. Kerala has a long way to go but is on the right track. The state, which has the experience of overcoming the impact of Nipah and the floods of 2018, can also overcome the Covid crisis, Surendran said. Kerala is trying to minimize the impact on the region by declaring solidarity with the global tourism industry.
The concluding session was addressed by Tourism Ministers of Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Karnataka and Rupinder Brar, Additional Director General, Ministry of Tourism.
The Conclave discussed the role of innovation and technology in the tourism sector and the emergence of a new workforce, and the need for developing new tourism destinations.