Tourism Needs Urgent Attention
Season after season the tourism scenario in Kerala has been witnessing an increase in the International tourist arrivals to Kerala. According to the Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan during the year 2006-07 there was an increase of 30 percent than the previous fiscal. The earning from tourism during the corresponding period had risen from Rs. 7,500 crore to Rs. 10,000 crore. This is a major achievement to the Tourism Department as well as to the whole hospitality industry in the state.
The marketing and promotional activities carried out by the department, formulation of new tourism products and concepts have also helped to boost the tourism industry in Kerala. The latest of the series, 'Dream Season,' launched with the aim of converting the traditional off-season in the State to a season of opportunity for the holiday makers is another positive step in this direction.
Monsoon tourism is given propaganda in a big way in foreign countries and was presented in several marts and that has helped Kerala to have tourists round the year. With the effective campaign carried out, the tourism sector in the state now has no off season. Aggressive promotional campaigns through the print and electronic media ensure that the initiative gets off to a dream start.
The health tourism exhibition held recently at Kochi is sure to give the medical tourism sector in the state a new phase. With all these the industry is sure to achieve heights.
At the same time there are several issues which need urgent attention from the governmental side. Improvement of facilities at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport is a long pending one. Like wise improvement of road, infrastructural facilities at tourist destinations etc need immediate attention.
It is high time for the government to look into the statistics of tourist arrivals and ensure that adequate facilities are extended to them, which otherwise would have negative impulse in the near future itself.
G Biju Krishnan
Managing Editor
editor@mediastepsindia.com
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