Kerala to Open Tourism in October
Kerala, one of the most-visited tourist destinations of India plans on re-opening in October 2020. God’s Own Country has been closed for tourism since the coronavirus outbreak, spanning stringent nationwide lockdown. The Minister of Tourism and Devaswom in Kerala, Kadakampally Surendran, stated, “The state is planning to welcome tourists in early October as of now. He added that the plan includes highlighting the importance of wellness and Ayurveda for immunity. The file has been presented to the Ayurveda chief minister and health department for their advice.” Kerala tourism board has made a detailed report and a layout with an emphasis on protection.
As transcribed, Kerala draws its major revenue from tourism. In 2019, the tourism industry added 12% to Kerala’s GDP. Ever since the closedown of tourism in Kerala, over 5000 hotels including homestays, houseboats, Ayurvedic centres, are staggering beneath tremendous financial stress. CKTI, the Confederation of Kerala Tourism Industry requested the state ministry to enable tourism to oversee the finances of the stakeholders. The reopening announcement has come as a tremendous relief for them. We are waiting for Kerala to announce the exact date of its re-opening but what we do know is that when they resume operations – all the expected protocols and protection measures would be in place.
