Category: Kerala

Ever since the World Health organisation has declared COVID-19 as a pandemic, Kerala has been taking all measures to contain the outbreak through strict surveillance and infection control measures. In order to reduce the risk of transmission of COVID among the drivers and passengers the following advisory is issued: Drivers & crew The drivers and crew (conductors, cleaners and helpers) should wear three-layer masks at all times during travel and while in public places. Drivers and crew shall wash hands with soap and water or use hand sanitizer frequently, especially before and after getting in and out of the vehicle. ... Read more

Renowned Malayalam film director P Padmarajan would have turned 65 years of age on May 23, if fate hadn’t snatched him away so early. Born in 1945 in Kerala’s Alappuzha district, Padmarajan is widely regarded as one of Malayalam cinema’s best ever directors. Along with KG George and Bharathan, Padmarajan formed a formidable trio responsible for the renaissance of Malayalam movies in the ‘80s, before he passed away in 1991. No, we are not going to dissect his movies and script writing here. Instead, there is ample scope for exploring the way in which he used travel and locations to ... Read more

Intersight Tours and Travels has invited articles on the unknown and unexplored tourist destinations and experiences of Kerala. The write-ups can be about hill stations, beaches, waterfalls, islands, village sights, valleys, etc which are unknown to the public. The articles can be either in English or in Malayalam and there is no restriction on the length of the articles. The name of the place, story behind the name, accessibility, two/four wheel drive details, accommodation facilities, details of nearby tourist attractions, contact details including the phone numbers, email ID, website etc. can be included. Resorts and homestays in unexplored destinations and ... Read more

The Association of Tourism Trade Organisations India (ATTOI) has urged the Prime Minister and Finance Minister to address the concerns of the Indian tourism industry without delay. Tourism, hospitality and health care sectors were expecting immediate relief measures as part of the government’s ₹20 lakh crore stimulus package. These industries were badly hit by the pandemic and hence were looking forward to some support. “But there has been no stimulus for tour operators, hotels, resorts or ayurveda hospitals who have to bear the salaries and maintenance costs even when shut,” ATTOI president Vinod CS said. The government’s lack of empathy ... Read more

Kerala Tourism has stated that hotels accommodating non-resident Keralites (NRKs) on paid quarantine will have to follow the standard operating procedure (SOP) as detailed below: PRE- REQUISITES AND CONDITIONS • The guests willing for paid quarantine should register themselves with the online portal designed for paid quarantine hotel bookings. The details of persons shall also be provided. • The guest should not be having any symptoms at the time of checking in at the hotel • Only family members who have travelled with them would be allowed to share the hotel room. • The guests should be willing to abide ... Read more

The Indian tourism sector must be feeling an orphan right now. Despite being a huge foreign exchange earner and providing jobs to millions, the industry has been left in the cold. The Rs 20 lakh crore stimulus package does not have anything significant for travel, hospitality or tourism, and that’s a shame considering that employees working in these sectors have been hit the hardest by the pandemic. Two of the leading tourism associations, the Confederation of Accredited Tour Operators (CATO) and Association of Professionals in Tourism (APT) have come out in the open criticising the stimulus package, which they consider ... Read more

Kerala’s tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran has said that the state’s tourism sector has incurred a loss of Rs 15,000 crore due to the coronavirus induced lockdown. The minister said that a rejuvenation package for tourism in the state has been prepared and will be implemented to attract tourists to the state after the COVID-19 crisis ends. “The state has incurred Rs 15,000 crore loss in tourism sector. We have prepared a project and submitted it to the Chief Minister in this regard. We are planning to bring a rejuvenation package for the tourism sector in the state,” Surendran said. He ... Read more

Nila enjoys an exalted position in Kerala’s cultural history. The 250-km long river drives Kerala’s traditional ethos and has deep influence on its literary evolution and a number of classical art forms flourish along the banks of the revered river. Once a perennial river, it now dries up in summer and many feel it may be on the verge of extinction. The river looks like a narrow ribbon at many stages of its path, as sand mining and deforestation continue to take a toll. The Ministry of Tourism, as part of its Dekho Apna Desh series, held a webinar to ... Read more

Maneesha Panicker is the founder of Silk Route Escapes, an experiential travel company that wants to handpick experiences that bring you closer to India’s culture. She is a former New Yorker who knows the heart of an avid traveller. Maneesha’s latest project is Kayal, an Island Retreat in the backwaters of Kerala. At Kakkathuruthu, she has built an intimate 4-cottage resort where fisherfolk and farmers share their life with guests, not far from the ancient port city of Kochi. She feels Kerala built too many hotels and houseboats and choked the backwaters here. We have to learn to tread carefully ... Read more

Even when the world stands still in a state of shock and surprise, a group of friends from the tourism and hospitality fraternity is joining hands to raise some funds through voluntary contributions to help at least 100 chosen, needy and deserving people within the tourism trade, with a strong resolve that no one from the industry should even think of committing suicide. “In the first phase we intend to offer assistance for medical aid and educational aid. In case you know a person from within our industry or in your organisation who deserves any of the afore-mentioned assistance, please ... Read more

The world is grieving. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a stir all over the globe creating a sense of fear, restlessness and uncertainty. Whereas, this small state in India – Kerala – located down on the southern tip, has caught global attention with its efforts to tackle the pandemic spread. The care and foresight of the Kerala government and the higher officials from the health department helped to identify, analyse and curb down the chaos in the initial stages itself. Kerala’s efficiency in treating foreigners from other countries has been applauded by the world countries. Even at the peak of ... Read more

There is some positive news for the tourism professionals, at last. Kerala Tourism has invited expression of interest from tour operators and transport operators of Kerala to be empanelled for providing chauffeur-driven vehicles to the Non-Resident Keralites (NRKs), stranded in various states of the country. Many of them have an opportunity now to return home, after being locked-down for months. The Kerala government will provide the NRKs an online platform for arranging vehicles to take them back to their respective places in Kerala. In this context, the payment will be made directly by the client. Tour and transport operators have ... Read more

Ayurveda is the biggest revenue earning sector as far as Kerala Tourism is concerned.  Ayurveda tourism in Kerala comprises two categories  1.    Wellness Ayurveda2.    Therapeutic Ayurveda The first one is more connected to the tourism angle and are mostly represented by beach properties. This segment has always attracted great demand. Around 65% of the Ayurveda clients come into this category out of which most are international guests. They take a 7-28 day programme when the international season kicks in from  September to April. This year also most of the resorts were running full house from last October till the lockdown was implemented. The ... Read more

How many Malayalis have seen the Champakkulam boat race live, after having a grand breakfast at a luxury villa? How many Malayalis have seen the Aranmula kannadi, while being educated on it by experts? Or let’s say how many have actually seen the Thrissur pooram and then retreated into a spa at a five star property? How many have seen a live Kathakali performance while experiencing the hospitality at any of Kerala’s leading resorts? Or let’s ask how many have undergone a panchakarma treatment or stayed in a luxury houseboat for a night? While all these may sound familiar, the ... Read more

The Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) Society has urged its members to contribute to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, to support the government in fighting the pandemic. “It is our responsibility to extend support to the government by contributing our humble share towards Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, even though we are in deep trouble,” said KTM President Baby Mathew, in a letter addressed to the members. “Every small amount of help from us is valuable and we can collectively extend our financial support to the government. Requesting all the members to make this effort successful by contributing financial assistance as much ... Read more