Kerala can become a model in tourism-led recovery of economic growth post COVID-19, Minister for Tourism P.A. Mohamed Riyas has said.
Replying to a question by P. Ubaidulla on the role of the cooperative sector in tourism during the Question Hour in the Assembly on Wednesday, Mr. Riyas said world over, tourism-centred projects were being planned as part of economic recovery.
Tourism could play an important role in creating new job opportunities, promoting livelihood enterprises, fostering cultural exchange, and development of basic infrastructure. It could network agriculture, fisheries, transport, education, hotels-restaurants, shopping malls, and souvenir sectors as well as boost economic growth.
Discussions would be held with the Chief Minister and other Ministers on how to make this global trend possible in the State too, Mr. Riyas said.
The Minister said conscious travel, a holistic approach to travel, and being mindful of its impact, was yet another trend to which Kerala was most suited to. It involved knowing local life and culture and having a positive impact on communities people visited. Experience tourism being promoted as part of responsible tourism would help attract tourists to the State. For instance, monsoon during the State could be promoted by highlighting Ayurveda and Karkidaka kanji traditions. Visitors could spend the entire monsoon season here. Steps would be taken to make Kerala an important conscious-travel destination, Mr. Riyas said.
The Minister said the potential of heli tourism was also being explored so that tourists landing at the State’s airports could reach important tourist destinations without delay. Since road travel was time consuming, groups of 8 to 12 tourists could be ferried there on helicopters. Helipads could be built at various places in the State to facilitate this.
The government, he said, had decided to spend more than ₹1,000 crore for the Canal City project for clean-up of Connolly Canal through Kozhikode city, its development, and promoting tourism there.
The Champions Boat League and the Nehru Trophy Boat Race would be held this year after a gap of three years, Mr. Riyas said. The Tourism Department was also looking into how adventure sports could be promoted by tapping into the uniqueness of local rivers, he said.
