KERALA TOURISM

KERALA TOURISM

1-Sandwiched between the Western Ghats and the Arabian Sea, the Indian state of Kerala is blessed with unmatched natural diversity that provides immense scope for tourism.

2-Within its 38,863 square kilometres, this virtual paradise boasts a wide range of tourist attractions – from serene beaches and tropical islands to coastal lagoons and quiet backwaters, mist-clad hills stations, wildlife sanctuaries, unspoilt wilderness areas, lush evergreen forests and a rich cultural heritage with unique art forms.

3-In addition, a moderate climate, a level of literacy far above the rest of India, and a long history of community harmony, make this region a unique tourism destination, positioned by the Keralites themselves as ‘God’s own country’.

4-In recent years Kerala has become known as the perfect haven for the traveller in search of improved health/wellness and, notably, a deeply relaxing and regenerating experience.

5-This is thanks to the growing popularity of Ayurvedic medicine – an ancient Indian science of natural medicinal herbs used for curative and relaxation purposes.The region is also recognized for having developed a new form of physical yoga as a means of rejuvenating mind and body.

6- The extensive backwaters and lagoons are very popular attractions. These offer the tourist a chance to escape from the mainland and disappear into the wilderness on a houseboat, or to stay at a remote hotel or resort far away from life’s daily realities.

Travel and tourism in Kerala

1-Travel & Tourism is one of the largest industries in connecting Kerala to Maharashtra via Karnataka and Goa – will significantly boost tourism traffic to the Kerala coast.

2-The state highways are yet to be full developed, with the result that over 85 per cent of domestic travellers choose to travel by rail or use secondary roads to reach Kerala.

 3-Kerala currently boasts 147 hotels that are officially recognized by the Ministry of Tourism – up from 122 in 2000.

4-The total number of rooms available is 5,365 (4,499 in 2000), of which more than 54 per cent are in either the two- or three-star categories. The five-star category includes 569 rooms, or a 10.6 per cent share – down from 15 per cent in 2000.

5-Kerala’s coastal resorts of Cochin, Kovalam, Thiruvananthapuram, Thekkady, Kozhikode and Ernakulam account for more than 75 per cent of total tourism traffic in Kerala.

6-Almost 600 kilometres of coastline include some of the most attractive beaches in the country, such as Kovalam, Varkala, Marari, Bekal and Kannur.

7-Kerala’s most popular backwater destinations are Kumarakom, Alapuzha, Kollam, Kochi and Kozhikode, and its bestknown hill stations are Ponmudi, Munnar, Wynad and Vagamon.

8-Kerala has a number of well-known wildlife reserves, including the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary, Eravikulam National Park, Thattekkad Bird Sanctuary and Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary. These parks remain relatively under-developed as tourist attractions.

9-Health/wellness tourism has been one of the strongest growth sectors over the past few years for Kerala, which has attracted attention as the home of Ayurvedic medicine – an ancient Indian science of natural medicinal herbs used for curative and relaxation purposes.

10-Kerala is extremely rich in terms of culture and heritage – the tradition of classical and folk arts in the state dates back over a thousand years.

11-Koodiyattom, one of the oldest art forms of Kerala – and the only surviving form of the ancient Sanskrit drama – was recently selected by UNESCO for proclamation as an oral and intangible world heritage.

12- Kerala today, contributing Rs39.3 billion (US$791.1 million), or 3.7 per cent, to the gross state product (GSP). This is projected to rise to 5.2 per cent, or Rs216.5 billion (US$2.9 billion) of GSP, by 2013. s Kerala’s international tourism receipts (excluding transport payments) have risen rapidly over the past decade.

13-In 2000 – the latest year for which detailed statistics are available – they totalled Rs5.3 billion (US$117 million). s Visitor exports, meanwhile – receipts from foreign and ex-Kerala Indian visitors, including transport payments – have also shown extremely sharp annual growth, and are expected to rise by more than 16 per cent in 2003 to Rs35.2 billion (US$709.9 million).

14-In 2001, Kerala recorded 5.2 million domestic tourist arrivals, up 3.8 per cent on the previous year, and accounting for some 2 per cent of total domestic tourist arrivals in India.

15-Average annual growth in domestic tourism has been more than 18 per cent over the past decade. s International tourist arrivals totalled 209,000 in 2001 and are estimated to have grown by 11.4 per cent in 2002 – reaching 233,000, or a record 9.8 per cent of India’s international arrivals count.

16-In the last ten years, international arrivals in Kerala have risen by an average 11.8 per cent per annum s Capital investment by the government and private sector in Kerala’s Travel & Tourism is expected to total Rs18.1 billion (US$365.5 million) in 2003.

17-Tourist arrivals in Kerala peak during the month of January and are at their lowest during May. The first quarter of the year accounts for the highest share of foreign arrivals – 31.3 per cent of the total annual count.

18-Although air transport accounts for only a modest 8.7 per cent share of total arrivals in Kerala – domestic and international – it is by far the preferred mode of transport for foreign tourists.

19-The two major ports of entry are Thiruvananthapuram and Cochin, but Cochin is grossly under-utilized at present.

RECENT TOURISM PERFORMANCE OF KERALA

1-One of the world’s fastest-growing tourism regions In the ten years to 2001, domestic tourist arrivals in Kerala increased by an average annual rate of more than 18 per cent, while arrivals from abroad rose by 12 per cent per annum.

2-These growth rates are well above the world averages and corroborate the findings of the WTTC and Oxford Economic Forecasting (OEF) research.

3-Europe is an important source of tourism for India – accounting for 35 per cent of arrivals as against 40 per cent from within Asia and 17 per cent from the Americas –and Kerala has certainly benefited from India’s reputation as a fascinating tourism destination, rich in natural and cultural attractions.

4-But Kerala’s appeal for foreign tourists is also due to its own unique attractions, such as its magnificent beaches and its quiet backwaters, offering opportunities for houseboat cruising.

5-Today, some houseboats have all the creature comforts of a good hotel.

6-During the 1990s, Kerala only recorded one year of decline in domestic arrivals, in 1998. But growth picked up again sharply the following year. Most domestic visitors travel to Kerala by rail or road; air transport accounts for less than 7 per cent of arrivals. And a significant share of visitors are non-resident Keralites, visiting friends and/or relations.

FUTURE kerala TOURISM DEVELOPMENT

1-Government’s increasingly important contribution Kerala was a late starter in tourism.

2-In 1950 the Department of Tourism was created, but it only functioned as a State Hospitality Department catering to important visitors and State guests.

3-The real Department of Tourism was not founded until 1960 and, even then, its initial role was confined to managing state-owned guesthouses and providing hospitality for important visitors.

4-The state government did not recognize tourism as an industry until the mid-1990s. 5-The first major step for tourism development in Kerala was taken with the launch of the Kerala Tourism Policy in 1995.

6-To qoute the policy itself“The main aim … is to serve as a guiding force to make maximum use of Kerala’s tourism potential and also to make it an ideal instrument for social and economic growth.”

7-The policy was aimed at realizing Kerala’s tourism potential by enhancing investment from the government and the private sector, improving the tourism product and harnessing human resources more efficiently.

8-An additional goal was to measure the influx of foreign and domestic tourists.The 1995 Tourism Policy remains the basis for much of the state’s progress over the last eight years, whether in terms of infrastructure and product development or tourism performance.

9-New beaches and backwater resorts have been opened up by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC), which also operates budget hotels, restaurants and cafés, as well as managing central reservation systems and conducting tours.

10-Other projects undertaken by the KTDC include the development of Ayurveda as a unique selling point and the development and promotion of nature-based and heritage tourism.

11-In line with the 1995 Kerala Tourism Policy, the government is also taking measures to create an investment-friendly atmosphere and to generate confidence among non-resident Indians (NRIs) and other prospective investors.

12-A Tourism Investment Agency is planned, and this will act as a bridge between the investors and other institutions by facilitating the procurement of land, electricity, communications and other infrastructure facilities.

13-Other necessary measures identified in the policy – either underway or in planning – include the setting up of a Heritage Home Protection Scheme to provide incentives for residents of Kerala to convert their traditional homes into tourist accommodation.

14-In addition to the tourist circuits recognized by the Government of India, places seen as having particular tourism potential will be identified as tourism attractions. Special incentives and subsidies will be given to entrepreneurs investing in these areas.

15-The policy also highlights the need for a special Backwater Tourism Plan, the training of specialized tour operators and other human resource development, a proper marketing campaign, the promotion of special fairs and festivals to attract tourists, and the education of local communities to raise awareness of tourism’s importance and potential.

16-Tour operators have also played a key role in the development of tourism to Kerala by creating unique and innovative tour options.

17-Most of the leading tour operators in India – such as Thomas Cook, SITA and TCI – feature Kerala prominently in their national and international holiday brochures.

18-A number of home-bred tour operators, like Kerala Travels, Great India Tour Company and Pioneer Travels, which have exhaustive knowledge of the state, have also established themselves as niche players in Kerala’s Travel & Tourism industry.

19-A joint Task Force, focusing on private-public sector partnership, has been constituted with major industry players and other stakeholders as members to act as advisors to the state government with regard to tourism development activities.

20- Keralite NRIs, who have also identified tourism as a high growth sector for investment, are also involved.

21-The Tourism industry’s spectacular performance over the past decade has largely been driven by private sector investment and involvement, which have helped to spread tourism to hitherto virgin areas in the state such as Marari, Vythiri, Kalpetta, Mananthavady and Poovar. Major national and international hotel chains – including Taj, Oberoi, Le Méridien, Best Western, Golden Tulip, Casino and Mahindra – have already established hotels and resorts in the state.

22-Kerala currently has 147 classified hotels – ie hotels that are officially recognized by the ingia govt.

23-Kerala has introduced the system of houseboats to harness the potential of its backwaters.  

24-Tourism corparation has noted that facilities for water sports are relatively undeveloped in Kerala.

25-Ayurveda – including massages and the use of medicinal herbs for relaxation and rejuvenation purposes – has already become a major attraction for tourists.

26-The Kerala Government should ensure that all centres practising Ayurveda are authorized by the Department of Tourism and Health to function as such centres. More health/wellness holidays could be packaged around Ayurvedic treatment and special courses could be introduced to educate tourists about Ayurveda.

27-Kerala boasts of some of the best seafood anywhere in the world – the Malabar prawn, for example, is a quality name signifying the wealth of the state’s seafood attraction.

28-Unfortunately, most of the good quality seafood is exported and not available to tourists in Kerala. It is recommended that special catering and culinary institutes be created to develop Kerala’s cuisine.

29-The traditional Kerala festivals are colourful social events that reflect the vibrant nature of the land and its people. Boat races in the backwaters are majestic and the traditional art forms in the state are spectacular.

29-Kerala also has a rich and singular cultural heritage. These festivals should be seen as a high-priority attraction for marketing and promotion.

30-Kerala is immensely rich in its unique art forms, culture and heritage.

31-The tradition of classical and folk arts in Kerala dates back over a thousand years. Koodiyattom, one of the oldest art forms of Kerala, and the only surviving form of the ancient Sanskrit drama, was recently selected by UNESCO for proclamation as an oral and intangible world heritage. Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Thullal, Theyyam, Thira, etc are unique in their style and forms and the architectural monuments in the state maintain a unique character.

32-The state has also decided to hasten the process for the preservation and conservation of these heritages. But it could also consider developing and promoting a regional heritage designation, with clearly defined criteria defined to support quality. Such a designation should result in increased funding from the government for the development and promotion of identified areas of particular heritage value.