od’s Own Country, Kerala, was inundated by incessant rain during the last few months this year. While, most of Kerala was submerged in the floods, tourism was apparently at the receiving end of the whole ordeal. Several tourists, both domestic and international, cancelled their bookings they had made for visiting different destinations in Kerala.
However, if the latest news reports are anything to go by, the land of backwaters is believed to be 90 percent ready to welcome tourists now. Lately, the Tourism Minister announced that maximum number of tourists spots in Kerala are unaffected from the floods. As per a survey carried out at 70 significant tourist sites throughout 14 districts in Kerala, about 90 percent attractions are prepared to welcome tourists once again. The remaining 10 percent spots will be spruced up to receive tourists within a month.
News has it that the historical monuments, tourist resorts and famous sites across Kerala are still intact from the unfortunate floods. Elsewhere, a lot of damage has been suffered by the roads and other infrastructure in Kerala. Out of the 70 tourist places, 38 are fully safe from floods, the remaining 22 have been restored well, and the remaining 10 will be fully functional within 30 days or so.
According to the news reports, tourists from abroad and India have already started trickling in Kerala now that the airports across the state have started operating again. In order to put Kerala back on the tourism map, the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KBM) has been scheduled between December 12, 2018 and March 29, 2019. It will be the largest contemporary art global event in South Asia, and will serve as a platform to depict the grit of Kerala.
Besides, the state government is also planning to organise the Champions Boat League in 2018 as per its previous schedule to let everyone know that Kerala’s backwaters are sound as ever for adventure activities.
Abraham George, member, National Tourism Advisory Council, told the press that a request has been put before the government of India to allow its staff to convert their native town Leave Travel Concession (LTC) to visit Kerala besides Jammu and Kashmir and the North East India. In addition, the state government of Kerala had asked the Ministry of Tourism to promote Kerala in their Incredible India campaigns.
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