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Chapter 3
DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM IN KERALA
Tourism is regarded as one of the world’s largest industr ies
and has the potential to assist significant number of people, especially the
unskilled labour force. It plays an important role in sustaining the national
economy. In Kerala, tourism has a significant role because of its potential
in creating employment, enhancing production and productivity and contributing
towards the development of the state.
3 . 1 MEANING
The origin of the word ‘ tourist’ dates back to the year 1292
A.D. 1 I t has come from the word ‘ tour ’ a der ivat ion of the Lat in word
tornus meaning a tool for describing a circle or a turner ’s wheel . In the
firs t half of the seventeenth century, the term was f i rs t used to refer to
travelling from place to place, a journey touching the principal parts of a
country or region.
1. Bhatia, A.K, “Measuring the Tourism Phenomenon,”International Tourism Development,Sterling Publishers, New Delhi, 1994, P.59.
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2. Krishna, K. Kamra, Economics of Tourism, Kanika Publishers, New Delhi, 2004, P.8.
3 . 1 . 1 Class i f i ca t ion
Tourism is usually classified in two basic way, which relate to
the nature of their trip. A distinction is drawn between domestic or internal
and foreign or internat ional tour ism. A touris t act ivi ty of res ident of a
country within their own country, which does not cross the boundaries of
the country, is thus described as internal or domestic tourism. Since the
travel takes place within the limits of the boundaries of a country, the
various travel formalities, which are necessary in international tourism, are
not observed. International tourism involves travel outside the country of
residence. The barriers of currency exchange, language, passports, health
documents etc.are faced by international tourist.
Tourist can also be classif ied by ‘purpose of visi t category’.
Conventionally, three categories are used.
3.1 .1 .1 The vacation or the holiday tourist is the most popular tourist.2
This type of tourist is immensely affected by changes in prices
and is easily influenced by skilled and aggressive marketing effort.
3.1 .1 .2 The business tourist makes a choice of a particular destination
depending upon the nature of his business.
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3.1 .1 .3 The common interest tourist comprises visits to one’s relatives
and friends, visits for the purpose of gaining knowledge etc.
3.2 DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM
3.2.1 International Tourism Development
In 1841, Thomas Cook who was regarded as the Father of
Tourism organised a train excursion from Leicester to Lough Borough in
England and back to attend a meeting at a cheaper fare than the standard
fares.3 This venture was followed by development of international tourism.
Development of commercial air services, economic prosperity and geopolitical
s tabi l i ty in both generat ing and receiving areas promoted the growth of
international tourism.
GLOBAL SCENARIO
Tourism growth at the global level shows that tourism has become
the world’s largest and fastes t growing industry. I ts contr ibut ion in the
field of foreign exchange earning, employment generation and in developing
better relationships at international level is highly recognised. World tourism
sector witnessed a set back in the year 2003, owing to three negat ive
factors that came together. The Iraq conflicts and the subsequent depression
in the travel around the world, followed by the outbreak of SARS epidemic
3. Seth, Pran Nath, “How Tourism Operates, Role of Travel Agencies”, The Economics of
Tourism, Sterling Publishers Private Limited, New Delhi,2000, P.9.
82
resulting in drop in the foreign tourist arrival from Asia- Pacific. Another
important factor responsible for the drop in tourism was the persistently
weak global economy. Not withstanding the set back the foreign tourists
arr ivals for the year 2005 crossed 800 mil l ion and achieved an al l t ime
record. 4
According to the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC),
Tourism is the world’s most rapidly growing industry and by the year 2008,
the contr ibut ion of tourism to the world economy would be more than
doubled from the base level of 1994. An at tempt has been made here to
discuss the region wise growth of world tourism. Foreign tourists arrivals
and international tourism receipts is illustrated in table 3.1 and 3.2.
4. Tourist Statistics 2005, Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, P.21.
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Table:3.1: Foreign Tourists Arrivals World Wide and by Regions
(In Millions)
Region 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
World Arrivals 652 687.3 684 703 691 763
Percent Annual Change 4.1 5.4 -0 .3 2.8 -1 .7 10.7
Africa Arrivals 26.2 29 29 30 30.6 33.2
Percent Annual Change 5.2 4.3 2.3 2.2 3.1 8.2
America Arrivals 122 128 120 115 113.1 125.7
Percent Annual Change 2.3 4.7 -4 .7 -4 .4 -3 .1 11.1
Asia and The Pacific Arrivals 103 115 121.1 131 119.6 152.9
Percent Annual Change 10.1 12.4 5.0 8.4 -8 .8 27.8
Europe Arrivals 381 393 388 397 399.9 415.2
Percent Annual Change 1.8 3.2 -0 .5 2.5 0.4 4.9
Middle East Arrivals 20.5 24.1 23.6 27.6 29.6 35.6
Percent Annual Change 35.8 7.1 -1 .7 16.9 3.2 20.5
South Asia Arrivals 6 6 6 6 6 7.81
Percent Annual change -4 .5 -4 .2 -4 .5 0.4 9.0 16.5
Source: Tourist Statistics, 2004, Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, P.10.
84
Table 3.2: International Tourism Receipts World Wide and by Regions
(In US $ Bil l ions)
Region 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004
World Receipts 457.2 477.0 463.6 474.2 525 622
Percent Annual Change 3.3 4.3 -2 .8 2.3 10.7 18.5
Africa Receipts 10.5 10.8 11.7 11.8 15.8 18.9
Percent Annual Change 6.1 2.9 8.3 0.9 33.9 19.6
America Receipts 122.1 132.8 122.5 114.3 114.0 131.5
Percent Annual Change 4.4 8.8 -7 .8 -6 .7 -0 .3 15.4
East Asia and The Pacific 79.6 86.7 87.2 94.7 95.5 125
Percent Annual Change 6.1 8.9 0.6 8.6 0.8 30.9
Europe Receipts 233.9 234.5 230.4 240.5 283.11 326.31
Percent Annual Change 0.9 0.3 -1 .7 4.4 7.7 5.3
Middle East Receipts 11.2 12.2 11.8 13.0 16.7 20.7
Percent Annual Change 27.3 8.9 -3 .3 10.2 28.5 24
South Asia Receipts 3.0 3.2 3.0 2.9 3.5 4.8
Percent Annual change 2.1 5.3 -4 .0 -3 .9 19.7 37.1
Share of India 0.66 0.66 0.66 0.62 0.69 0.77
Source: Tourist Statistics, 2004, Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, P.10.
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The Word Tourism organization (WTO) divides the world into
six regions: Afr ica, America, East Asia and the Pacif ic , Europe, Middle
East and South Asia. 5 Out of these predominant growth was observed in
Europe and Asia and the Pacif ic , whi le the share of the South Asia is
the lowest, both in terms of receipts and in terms of international arrivals.
In 2005, the volume of internat ional touris t arr ivals reached an al l t ime
record of 800 million, corresponding to an increase of more than 10 percent,
over the previous year f igure of 763 mil l ion. All the sub-regions in the
Asia pacific region shows a decrease in the international tourist arrivals
except the South Asian sub region. India is one among the South Asian
countries, the others being Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Iran, Maldives,
Nepal, Pakistan and Srilanka. Among the South Asian countries, India receives
more than 50 percent of the vis i tors and 75 percent of the receipts . In
2003, India’s share in global international tourism receipts was 0.69 percent
which increased to 0.77 in 2004.6
3.2.2 Development of Tourism in India
The first organised effort to promote tourism in India was made
in the year 1945 when a commit tee was set up by the Government of
India under the chairmanship of Sir John Sergeants, the then educational
adviser to the Government of India. 7
5. Netto Nalini, “Tourism development in Kerala”, in B.A.Prakash (eds) Kerala’s EconomicDevelopment, Sage Publications, New Delhi,2004, P.271.
6. Tourist statistics 2005, Dept. of Tourism, Govt. of Kerala, P. 21.7. Seth, Pran Nath, and Sushama, Seth Bhat, “An Introduction to Travel and Tourism”,
Sterling Publishers Private Limited, New Delhi, 2000, P.43.
86
By 1952, a separate Touris t Traff ic Branch was establ ished
and touris t off ice was opened in Delhi , Bombay, Calcut ta and Madras .
The first tourist office with a view to attract foreign tourists to India was
establ ished in New York in December 1952. In March 1958, a separate
tourism department was created in the Ministry of Transport to deal with
all matters pertaining to tourism.8 The new department was put under the
charge of the Director General who had under him one Deputy Director
General and four Directors , each in charge of adminis t ra t ion, publ ic i ty,
traffic relations, planning and development.
By the Presidential order dated 14th march 1967, the department
of aviat ion and tourism, which was under the Ministry of Transport and
Civil Aviation, was formed into a separate ministry with two consti tuent
departments viz. Department of Tourism and Department of Civil Aviation.
The Department of Tourism performs both promotional and organisational
functions. These functions are conducted by the following seven divisions.
1 . Planning and Programme
2 . Publicity and Conference
3 . Travel, Trade and Hospitality
4 . Accommodation
5 . Supplementary Accommodation and Wildlife
6 . Market Research and
7 . Administration
8. M.L.Minimol and Anilkumar, K, “Tourism Promotion Agencies in India” in M.Sarngadharan. and G Raju, Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development :Indian andGlobal Perspectives, New Century Publications, New Delhi,2005, P.198.
87
3.2 .2 .1 New National Tourism Policy
In the f i rs t three decades of Indian planning, l i t t le at tent ion
was given to tourism, as there were more pressing needs in other sectors.
That the first tourism policy of the country was formulated only in 1982,
nearly 35 years after independence, speaks of the slow pace of organised
growth. It was only in 2002 that the New National Tourism Policy formulated
with very vast objectives, mission and strategies came into being. Important
objectives of New National Tourism Policy are he following.9
1 . Generating awareness about the benefits of tourism for the host
population.
2 . Mobil is ing State Governments to use tourism as a means for
achieving their socio-economic objectives.
3 . Encouraging private sector to enhance investment in tourism.
4 . Providing legislative and regulatory support for sustainable tourism.
5 Protecting the interest of tourism industry and consumers.
The global market t rends in tourism are changing due to the
change in living standards, advancement in transportation, liberalization of
9. Netto Nalini, “Tourism development in Kerala”,in B.A.Prakash (eds) Kerala’s EconomicDevelopment, Sage Publications, New Delhi, 2004, P. 272.
88
international airspace, cheaper flights, development in information technology
etc. At the global level, the earnings from tourism have made it one of the
world’s largest industry and the fas tes t growing sectors of global t rade
accounting for 10.7 per cent of global gross domestic product. Now majority
of tourists all around the world are keen to participate in cultural tourism,
ecotourism, rural tourism and above al l spir i tual tourism. For a l l these
kinds of tourism, India is treated as the best tourist destination as i t has
al l k inds of tour ism potent ia l to feed the touris ts . The Readers Travel
Awards 2006’ , conducted by Conde Nast Travel ler has placed India a t
number four among the world’s must see countries (up from number nine
in 2003) . This has helped the country to boost the image as a le isure
destination 10.
10. http://www.cntraveller.com/readersawards/2006/countries/
89
Table 3.3: Ranking of Countries According to World Must See Destinations
Rank Country Percentage of Rating
1 Italy 95.6
2 New Zealand 94.8
3 Australia 94.4
4 India 94.4
5 South Africa 94.2
6 France 93.2
7 Thailand 91.1
8 Spain 90.8
9 Brazil 90.3
10 Switzerland 89.6
Source: http://www.cntraveller.com/readersawards/2006/countries/
3.2 .2 .2 International Tourist Arrival to India
In India, Tourism organisation plays a significant role in attracting
tourists. Majority of national tourism offices are organised internally along
functional lines into divisions and branches. India is increasingly being viewed
as an attractive destination for investment in hotel infrastructure, particularly
budget hotels. A strong overseas advertising campaign and increased inflow
of business travellers owing to a thriving domestic economy has together
boosted the inflow of foreign tourists. Table 3.4 given below indicates the
month wise arrival of foreign tourists to India during the last seven years.
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Table 3.4: Month Wise Arrival Detai ls of foreign Tourists
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007
January 283750 228150 274215 337345 385977 459489 532088
February 262306 227529 262692 331697 369844 439090 498806
March 248965 225558 218473 293185 352094 391009 444186
April 185338 155378 160941 223884 248416 309208 333945
May 151098 132998 141508 185502 225394 255008 267758
June 176716 143100 176324 223122 246970 278370 310104
July 224432 186432 225359 272456 307870 337332 377474
August 196517 161477 204940 253301 273856 304387 360089
September 162326 151721 191339 226773 257184 297891 325893
October 181605 212191 260569 307447 347757 391399 440715
November 209685 243566 290583 385238 423837 442413 510987
December 319271 417527 479411 541571 575148
Source: Ministry of Tourism, Government of India.
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Table 3.5: Country Wise Analysis of Foreign Tourists Arrivals to India
Arrivals fromRegion/Country 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
USA 329147 348182 410803 526120 611165 696739
UK 405472 387846 430917 555907 651803 734240
Canada 88600 93598 107671 135884 157643 176567
Germany 80011 64891 76868 116679 120243 156808
France 102434 78194 97654 131824 152258 175345
Australia 52691 50743 58730 81608 96258 109867
Italy 41351 37136 46908 65561 67642 79978
Japan 80634 59709 77996 96851 103082 119292
Malaysia 57869 63748 70750 84390 96276 107286
Singapore 42824 44306 48368 60710 68666 82574
Nepal 41135 37136 42771 51534 77024 91552
SriLanka 112813 108008 109098 128711 136400 154813
Netherlands 42368 31669 40565 51211 52755 58611
China 13901 15422 21152 34100 44897 62330
South Korea 27150 29374 35584 47835 49895 705407
Source: Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
92
The year 2007 has been a highly successful year for India
tourism. The international tourists arrival crossed the 4 million mark with
4.97 million arrivals. The month- wise arrival of international tourists from
2001 to 2007 shows that, in 2006 and 2007 the month of December marked
the highest arr ival of internat ional tour is ts and May marked the lowest
tourist inflow. Table 3.5 shows the market performance of the top fifteen
countr ies . Uni ted Kingdom with an est imated arr ival f igure of 7 ,34,240
remained on the top of all tourist-generating countries.
3.2 .2 .3 Foreign Exchange Earnings from Tourism
Tourism stands second in foreign exchange earnings after gems
and jewellery.11 Revenue from tourism means a lot to the host country as
i t is contr ibuted by foreign visi tors in foreign exchange, which the host
country can use for i ts economic development. India’s foreign exchange
receipts f rom tourism are es t imated on the basis of percapi ta average
expenditure of tourists arriving from different countries. Table 3.6 represents
the estimated foreign exchanges earnings together with annual percentage
changes.
11. Seth, Pran Nath and Sushama, Seth Bhat, “An Introduction to Travel and Tourism”, SterlingPublishers Private Limited, New Delhi, 2000, P.5.
93
Table 3.6: India’s Foreign Exchange Earnings
Year Foreign Exchange Percentage change
Earnings ( in crores )
1999 12951.00 9.94
2000 14238.00 0.74
2001 14344.00 -1.04
2002 14195.00 1.28
2003 16429.00 15.7
2004 21603.00 31.5
2005 25172.00 16.5
2006 29395.38 16.8
Source - Tourist Statist ics 2006.
Foreign exchange earnings have reached a level of Rs. 29,395.38
crores in 2006 registering a huge increase over the previous year, that is
Rs.25,172.00 crores in 2005.
3.2.3 DEVELOPMENT OF TOURISM IN KERALA
Kerala has emerged as the most acclaimed dest ination in the
country. Nat ional Geographic Travel ler, af ter two years research, chose
Kerala as one of the 50 must see destinations of a lifetime and has selected
i t as one of the 10 paradises of the world. 12 The s ta te is bordered by
the states of Karnataka on the North, Tamil Nadu in the East and Arabian
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Sea in the West . Beaches, backwaters , hi l l s tat ions, year round fest ivals
and the diverse f lora and fauna make Kerala qui te dis t inct f rom other
Indian States . The pleasant cl imate is also a posi t ive factor. Apart from
being a tourist destination, Kerala is also India’s most advanced society,
cleanest and most peaceful state. All these factors favored tourism in Kerala.
3.2 .3 .1 Department of Tourism
The present Department of Tourism has i ts roots in the State
Guest Department of the Travancore State. The Department was renamed
Tourist Department first and then Department of Tourism in 1981.13 Realising
the importance of tourism in stimulating the economic development of the
state, the Government of Kerala declared tourism as an industry in 1986.
Although the department continues to handle the hospitality function of the
state, more emphasis is now given to Promotion, Planning and Development
of Tourism.
Functions
The department of tourism has three major functions:-
1. Tourism Development
2. Hospitality wing of the State Government and3. Estate office duty
12. Tourist Statistics 2003, Department of tourism, Government of Kerala, P.5.
13. Tourist Statistics 2004, Department of tourism, Government of Kerala, Page No.6.
14. Tourist Statistics 2003, Department of Tourism, Govt. of Kerala, P. 6.
95
Chart 3.1: Department of Tourism Functional Chart
Source: Tourist Statistics 2005, Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, P. 11.
DIRECTOR
ADMINISTRATONPROMOTION HOSPITALITYFINANCE
Establishment
ACCOUNTS
* Preparationof bills
*Personenlclaims includes
salariesTA bill etc
*CashTransaction
* Inspection ofguest housesand office
* Reply to Auditparas
* Non- planbudget
* Liason withf i n a n c edepartment
*Supplementarydemand forg r a n t sa d d i t i o n a lauthorisationetc.
* Report tocommittees oflegislature
* Stores andpurchases
Running ofvarious guest
houses
VIP visit
Providing andmaintainingvehicles forminister’s
VIP’s
Maintenance ofMinister’sbungalow
PLANNING
RESEARCHAND
STATISTICS
MARKETINGAND
PUBLICITY
* Implementation ofState and CentralPlan schemes
* Development oftourism centres
* Creation of Touristinfrastructure
* Formulation andimplementation ofincentive scheme
* Tourism Policy* Co-ordination of
different
* Co-ordination ofd i f f e r e n tGovernment andNon Governmentagencies.
* Compilation of touriststatistics
* Research studies onvarious aspects relatedto tourism
* Promotion through IT
* Preparation ofadministrative reports
* Library management
* Production and distribution ofpublicity materials
* Conducts / participation ininternational / national fairs
* Arranging festivals
* Providing tourist informationthrough information centres
96
3.2.3.1.1 Tourism Development
Today tourism is Kerala’s booming industry and one of the
fastest growing, high income and employment generating sectors. Responsible
Tourism is adopted as the cornerstone for the tourism development in the
state . The important object ives of tourism development in Kerala are as
follows.
• To identify new destinations as part of tourism development
and implementat ion of various schemes to develop them
as important tourists spots.
• To conserve and preserve cultural heritage of our country.
• Continuation of extensive and aggressive marketing of Kerala
as an internat ional tourism dest inat ion. For this various
measures such as media advertisement, printing and distribution
of mult icoloured brochures, hospital i ty to travellers and
conducting festivals etc. have been undertaken
3.2.3 .1 .2 Hospital ity Wing
The department provides accommodation and transport to the
State Guests including VVIPs and VIPs by maintaining 24 Guest Houses at
Thiruvananthapuram, Varkala, Ponmudi, Kovalam, Attingal, Kollam, Aluva,
Alappuzha, Pathanamthita, Kottayam, Devikulam, Munnar, Peerumade, Idukki,
Ernakulam,Thrissur, Cheruthuruthy, Guruvayoor, Malampuzha, Kozhikode, Malappuram,
97
Kannur, Sulthan Bathery, Kasargode, two Yathri Nivases at Ernakulam
and Thiruvananthapuram and Kerala houses at Kanyakumari and New Delhi .14
3.2.3.1 .3 Estate Office Duty
It is the responsibility of the Department of Tourism to provide
furnished Residential Bungalows to the Ministers , Chief Whip, Speaker,
Leader of Opposi t ion etc . The t ransport faci l i ty is a lso provided to the
above by the Department of Tourism.
3.2.4 Tourism Vision 2025
The Tourism Vision 2025 is to make Kerala ‘‘God’s own country
an upmarket, high quality tourist destination through rational utilisation of
resources with focus on integrated development of infrastructure sector,
conserving and preserving the heritage and environment and enhancing productivity,
income, creating employment opportunities, alleviating poverty thereby making
tourism the most important sector for the socio-economic development and
environment protection of the state’’. The Government of Kerala has published
a document called Tourism Vision 2025 outlining this statement. 15
Objectives— Tourism Vision 2025
3.2 .4 .1 To develop and promote new innovative tourism products, lesser-
known destinations, art forms, cuisines, monuments and handicrafts.
14. Tourist Statistics 2003, Department of Tourism, Govt. of Kerala, P. 6.
15. Netto Nalini, “Tourism development in Kerala”, in B.A.Prakash (eds) Kerala’s Economic
Development, Sage Publications, New Delhi, 2004, P.271.
98
3.2 .4 .2 To develop and improve roads, drinking water supply, electricity,
sewage and sanitations systems, transport systems like rail, sea,
inland water and air for selected tourist centres.
3.2 .4 .3 To promote and market Kerala tourism products a t nat ional
and international level thereby making Kerala a premier global
tourism destination.
3.2 .4 .4 To involve Panchayat Raj Inst i tut ions in the state which can
contribute greatly in building up tourism infrastructure and necessary
basic amenities.
3.2 .4 .5 To create awareness and tourism consciousness among the people
in general and among the taxi dr ivers , por ters , customs and
emigration officers and others with whom tourists interact thereby
removing prejudices and misconceptions and to make Kerala
society a tourism friendly society.
3.2 .4 .6 To rationalise tourism related legislations like Rent Control Act,
Labour Act, Building Tax Act etc. and policies of the Government
so that it is tourist friendly and promotes growth of tourism.
3.3 PERFORMANCE OF KERALA TOURISM
Tourism in Kerala is of recent or igin as can be clear ly seen
from the trend in the tourists arrivals and receipts, which can be regarded
as the major indicator of tourism in any region. On the tourism map of the
world, perhaps Kerala alone enjoys the envious position of having a vast
and charming tourist destination for all seasons of the year round. Called
99
“God’s Own Country”, the state is really a paradise with a distinct culture
and tradition.
Kerala was the f i rs t s ta te in India to be accorded the s ta tus
of partner state of the World Travel and Tourism Council in 2000. Kerala’s
tourism brand is listed among the 101 strongest brands in India by Super
brands Private Limited and has been accorded the highly coveted “Super
Brand” status.16 Kerala Tourism enjoys the privilege of being the only tourism
dest inat ion in the l is t ing which is being done for the f i rs t t ime in the
country. Kerala regis tered a recorded growth of 23.5 percent in
terms of visitor exports or external account earnings from travel and tourism
over the past ten-years.17 India’s estimate for this period was 14.3 percent,
whi le the world average is only 6 .5 percent . Kerala’s external account
earnings actual ly increased by 11 percent . This points to the fact that
visitors feel more secure in Kerala than in other parts of the country.
Employment Potential
Travel and tourism is human resource intensive, creating quality
jobs across the full employment spectrum. The travel and tourism economy
accounts for 8.3 percent of global employment. The report of the working
group on tourism revealed that the travel and tourism challenge is to enhance
the contr ibut ion to employment f rom 5.6 percent to 8 .2 percent , world
wide. 18 As per the report of Tata consul tancy Services 2000, tourism
16. Tourist Statistics, 2004 Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, P.617. Tourist statistics 2003, Department of Tourism, P. 1818. Report of the Working Group on Tourism, State Planning Board, Thiruvananthapuram, 2001.
100
accounts for direct employment of 1.5 lakh, direct plus indirect employment
of 7.0 lakh and the employment multiplier is 4.62.19 Today there are 74.2
million travel and tourism industry jobs and 221.6 million jobs in the travel
and tourism economy, and these will rise to 85.5 million travel and tourism
industry jobs and 269.6 million jobs in the travel and tourism economy by
2015. According to World Travel and Tourism Council forecast, the tourism
demand of Kerala would grow by 11.6 percent per annum over the next
decade s tar t ing from 2002. This is higher than, not only that of India
(9.7 percent) but also of Turkey (10.2 percent) which has so far been the
highest. 20
3.3.1 Tourists Arrival
Kerala is a tourists paradise and a lead state in social advancement.
The availability of cost effective treatments, quality human resource and
unmatched natural diversity make Kerala a dream destination, a true endorsement
of the opportuni t ies that beckon touris ts to gods own country. Kerala’s
peak tourist season is October to March, while the lean season is April to
September .
3.3.2 International Tourists
The major source markets of internat ional tourism to Kerala
are the West European nations. The largest number of foreign tourists arrivals
19. ‘Report of the Tata Consultancy Services, “Impact of Tourism”: An Input OutputAnalysis, State Planning Board, Government of Kerala, 2000.
20. Tourist Statistics 2003, Department of Tourism, P.12.
101
in a year is between the months of October and March. Foreign tourists
t raff ic to Kerala has been growing remarkably, dur ing the per iod 1999-
2007. Table 3.7 given below indicates the arr ival of foreign touris ts to
Kerala during the las t nine years and percentage of var ia t ion over the
previous years.
Table 3.7: Detai ls of Foreign tourists arrival 1999-2007
Year Foreign Tourists Arrivals Percentage of Variation
over Previous year
1999 202173 6.44
2000 209933 3.80
2001 208830 -0.53
2002 232564 11.37
2003 294621 26.68
2004 345546 17.28
2005 346499 0.27
2006 428534 23.7
2007 515808 20.37
Source: Tourist Statistics (1999-2007) Department of tourism.
It can be seen from the table that foreign tourists arrival to
the state has increased to 515808 in 2007 from 428534 in 2006 showing
a s ignif icant growth rate of about 20.37 percent . The las t f ive years
102
together has shown an increase of more than 55 percent, which is a remarkable
achievement . I t must be ment ioned that 2001and 2005 has been a bad
year for tourism. While the over all arrivals in India dipped by 4.2 percent,
those in Kerala dipped only by -0.5 percent.
3.3.3 Domest ic Touris ts
Domestic tourism in the state has also shown a continuous increase
over the years. Table 3.8 shows the domestic tourists flow to Kerala during
the last nine years and percentage of variation over the previous years.
Table 3.8: Detai ls of Domestic Tourists Arrival 1999-2007
Year Domestic Percentage of Variation
Tourists Arrivals over Previous Year
1999 4888287 9.07
2000 5013221 2.55
2001 5239692 4.52
2002 5568256 6.27
2003 5871228 5.44
2004 5972182 1.72
2005 5946423 -0.43
2006 6271724 5.47
2007 6642941 5.92
Source: Tourist Statistics (1999-2007) Department of tourism.
103
Domestic tourists arrivals during 2007 estimated to be at 66,42,941
against 62,71,724 in 2006, showing an increase of 5.92 percent. In contrast
to international tourism, which dipped by 0.27 percent in 2005, domestic
tourism was affected due to the threat of Chikungunya and showed a negative
growth rate of -4.3 percent.
The growth in foreign and domestic tourists arrivals to Kerala
from 1999 to 2007 is given in fig. 3.1
Figure 3.1 Growth in Foreign and Domestic Tourists
104
Table 3.9 : Share of Foreign Tourists Arrival to Kerala
Year No. of Foreigners Share of Foreign Touristarrival to Kerala
India Kerala
2000 2624259 209933 7.99
2001 2537282 208830 8.23
2002 2384364 232564 9.75
2003 2726214 294621 10.81
2004 3367980 345546 10.26
2005 3915324 346499 8.85
2006 4429915 428534 9.67
2007 4977193 515808 10.36
Source: Economic Review, 2007, P.S128.
Table 3.9 reveals that the total foreign tourist flow to Kerala in 2007 was
5,15,808 which constituted 10.36 percent of the total foreign tourists visited
India.
3.3.4 Foreign Exchange Earnings
Tourism is a major source of foreign exchange earnings for the
country. It is seen that Kerala tourism has helped the nation to earn precious
foreign exchange. In this section, the contribution made by tourists inflow
in Kerala is analysed. Both direct and indirect revenue earnings are estimated.
The amount of direct revenues earned is dependent on three var iables ,
105
namely a) the number of tourists b) average length of stay and c) average
dai ly expendi ture . Per day expendi ture with respect to foreign touris ts
was Rs. 2900 in 2006 and Rs. 3200 in 2007. While the average duration
of s tay was 16 days. As for domest ic touris ts per day expendi ture was
Rs. 1300 in 2006 and Rs. 1500 in 2007. Whle the average durat ion of
stay was six days. The department of tourism has estimated the earnings
from international tourists on the basis of sample studies on the expenditure
pat tern and the average durat ion of s tay of the touris ts . Earnings f rom
tourism have shown a remarkable growth over the previous four years .
The following table 3.10 and fig 3.2 shows the estimate of earnings from
foreign tourists for the last nine years.
Table 3.10 Foreign Exchange Earnings from Tourism
Year Earnings (Rs. in crores) Percentageover previous years of variation
1999 416.07 37.74
2000 525.30 26.25
2001 535.00 1.85
2002 705.67 31.90
2003 983.37 39.35
2004 1266.77 28.82
2005 1552.31 22.54
2006 1988.40 28.09
2007 2640.94 32.82
Source: Tourist Statistics (1999-2007) Department of tourism.
106
During 2007, the foreign exchange earning from tourism in the
state was Rs.2640.94 crore , which shows an increase of 32.82 percent
over 2006.
Figure 3.2 Foreign Exchange Earnings from Tourism
3.3.5 Earnings from Tourism
The flow of money generated by tourist spending multiplies as
it passes through various sections of the economy. Besides earning foreign
107
exchange, spin-off resul ts f rom touris t act ivi t ies in other sectors create
increased demand for capital and consumer goods, resulting in an increase
in the Gross Domestic Product. The revenue generated in the economy out
of tourism is es t imated to be nearly 6.29 percent of the State’s GDP. 21
Table 3.11 gives estimate of total earnings from tourism for the last seven
years.
Table 3.11: Earnings from Tourism
Year Total Revenue generated from Percentage ofTourism (Direct & Indirect) Variation over
Rs. in Crores Previous Years
2001 4500 9.58
2002 4931 20.42
2003 5938 12.83
2004 6829 15.01
2005 7738 13.31
2006 9126 17.94
2007 11433 25.28
Source ibid .
21. Kang, Sukhdv Singh, paper presented in an international Colloquium on ‘Regional Governanceand Sustainable Development in Tourism-Driven Economies’, Cancun, Mexico, P. 11.
108
I t i s to be noted that the direct effect , which is the ini t ia l
injection of revenue to the local economy by the tourist and indirect revenue
which is represented by a second round of spending by the receipients of
initial expenditures in purchasing the goods and services demanded by the
tourist generated from tourism during 2007 is Rs. 11,433 crores, showing
an increase of 25.28 percent over the previous year.
Tourism has come to be recognised as a very important invisible
export act ivi ty. The contr ibut ion of tourism to total balance of payment
receipts is significant in many countries. Through international tourist expenditure,
different countries can balance their transaction with the rest of the world.
The major source market of international tourism to Kerala based on tourists
arrival in the year 2007 are listed in table 3.12.
109
Table 3.12: Market Performance of Top Fifteen Countries - 2007
Sl. No Country No. of ProportionTourists to Total Tourists
1 U.K 120489 23.36
2 FRANCE 48137 9.33
3 U.S.A 39834 7.72
4 GERMANY 35848 6.95
5 MALDIVES 22642 4.39
6 ITALY 18052 3.50
7 SWITZERLAND 16097 3.12
8 AUSTRALIA 14622 2.83
9 NETHERLAND 12738 2.47
10 CANADA 10492 2.03
11 SWEDEN 10173 1.97
12 BANGLADESH 8773 1.70
13 SAUDI ARABIA 8560 1.66
14 SPAIN 8176 1.59
15 U.A.E. 8174 1.58
Source: Tourist Statistics, 2007 Department of Tourism.
110
The above table shows that United Kingdom with an estimated
arr ival f igure of 1,20,489 remained on the top of al l touris t- generat ing
countries for Kerala and accounted for 23.36 percent of the total traffic.
India has become the fourth most important long- haul market for the
United Kingdom after the United States. 22
3.3.6 Plan Allocation
Tourism had always been a low prior i ty sector in terms of
Governmental planning as evident from the plan allocations. Till the Ninth
Five Year plan, tourism received less than one percent of the total plan
out lay, but substant ia l changes occurred with the Tenth Five Year Plan
allocating nearly four percent of the total plan outlay to tourism. The major
objective of the tenth plan in tourism was to provide basic infrastructure
at the tourist destinations, to improve the connectivity between the destinations,
conserve and preserve the natural and cultural heri tage and to introduce
regulating mechanisms to ensure quality of products. The following table
gives the allotment for tourism under various Five Year Plans.
22. Business Standard, “Passengers on UK- India flights double”, November 24, 2006
111
Table 3.13:Plan Outlay for Tourism under Various Five-Year Plans
Five Year Total Plan Outlay Share of Tourism ActualPlans Outlay on Tourism in Total State Plan Expenditure
(Rs.in lakhs) (Rs. in lakhs) (Rs. in lakhs) (Rs. in lakhs)
I 2,590 — — —
II 8,701 12.80 — 11.55
III 7,000 50.00 0.3 21.00
IV 25,840 50.00 0.2 55.00
V 56,896 71.05 0.1 79.00
VI 1,55,040 675.00 0.4 557.00
VII 2,10,000 900.00 0.4 811.50
VIII 5,46,000 2922.00 0.54 5274.81
IX 16,10,000 14,000.00 0.87 19354
X 24,00,000 82,600.00 3.44 37053
Source: Report of the working group on tourism, State Planning Board,
Trivandrum.
It is quite evident that the plan allocation on tourism has shown
an increasing trend and that tourism has got an important place in the five
year plans. The tenth five year plan allocation of Rs. 826 crore is about
six t imes higher than that of the ninth f ive year plan Rs.140 crore. The
annual plan allocations also indicate a remarkable increase as is shown in
table 3.14.
112
Table 3.14:Plan Allocation for Tourism
Year State Allocation Central Allocation(Rs. in crores) (Rs. in crores)
1998-1999 37.20 6.69
1999-2000 36.00 9.51
2000-2001 46.00 5.93
2001-2002 40.00 5.45
2002-2003 80.00 12.25
2003-2004 74.52 12.39
2004-2005 79.60 21.99
2005-2006 88.02 48.09
2006-2007 81.57 40.89
Source: Economic Review 2007, State Planning Board, S 128.
The state plan allocation for tourism shows a significant increase
from Rs 37.20 crores in 1998-99 to Rs 81.57 crores during 2006-07 and
the Central Government a l locat ion was Rs.40.89 crores . This shows the
importance at tached to tourism development in the state. Government of
India provides financial assistance to the State Government for the creation
of tourism infrastructure in the state.
113
3.3.7 Transport Sector
K e r a l a h a s t h r e e a i r p o r t s h a n d l i n g i n t e r n a t i o n a l t r a v e l ,
Thi ruvananthapuram, Cochin, and Calicut. Of these, Cochin International
Airport, which has been completed with Non-Resident Keralite participation
in 1999, won the National Tourism Award for the Best-Maintained Tourism
Friendly Airport in the country for 2001-02. 23 The state has a good network
of railways and roads, the road density being the highest in the country in
terms of length per 1000 square kilometre of area.
3.3.8 District Wise Arrival of Foreign and Domestic Tourists
An analysis of tourists arrivals, domestic and foreign tourists
to some important locations in the state shows that foreign tourists mostly
concentrate in Thiruvananthapuram, Kovalam, Cochin, Kollam, Alappuzha
and their presence in North Kerala being almost negligible. Table 3.15 and
figure 3.3 given below shows district wise comparison of Foreign and Domestic
tourists.
23. Government of Kerala, Economic Review 2002.
114
Table 3.15:District Wise Domestic and Foreign Arrivals
Sl. District Foreign Tourists Domestic Tourists
N o 2007 2006 2007 2006
1 Thiruvananthapuram 193924 151578 948579 866712
2 Kollam 8854 7918 145524 122998
3 Pathanamthita 547 346 60988 57032
4 Alappuzha 40463 36407 170731 179115
5 Kottayam 27358 26543 189411 196284
6 Ernakulam 165125 131767 1109644 1080591
7 Idukki 46463 44583 505229 515182
8 Thrissur 4645 4142 1546576 1398014
9 Palakkad 615 809 315591 300674
10 Malappuram 9766 7109 313200 303844
11 Wayanad 4093 2611 256190 225923
12 Kozhikode 10020 11154 570832 550694
13 Kannur 3067 2730 375255 351309
14 Kasaragod 868 837 135191 123352
Total 515808 428534 6642941 6271724
Source: Tourist Statistics 2006-2007.
115
It is clear from the above table that Thiruvananthapuram is the
leading district based on foreign tourists arrival to Kerala. Other leading
districts are Ernakulam, Idukki, Alappuzha and Kottayam. Tourists arrival
to these five districts constitute 92.74 percent of the total arrival to Kerala.
Thrissur is the leading district on the basis of domestic tourists arrivals to
Kerala.
Figure 3.3 Districtwise Comparision of Foreign and Domestic Tourists
arrivals to Kerala
Domestic-2007Foreign-2007
Thi
ruva
nant
hapu
ram
Kol
lam
Pat
hana
mth
ita
Ala
ppuz
ha
Kot
taya
m
Ern
akul
am
Iduk
ki
Thr
issu
r
Pala
kkad
Mal
appu
ram
Way
anad
Koz
hiko
de
Kan
nur
Kas
arag
od
1400000
1200000
1000000
80000
60000
40000
20000
116
3.4 TOURISM AGENCIES
Infrastructure, tourism products, human resources and marketing
are the major areas in tourism development. The major agency involved in
the development of tourism in the state is the department of tourism. Major
agencies involved in the development of Tourism in the state are:-
3.4.1 Kerala Tourism Development Corporation [KTDC]
The KTDC, a commercial public sector company, in the field
of tourism concerned with hotel ier ing, tours and t ravels was formed in
1965. 24 I t i s the largest hotel chain in Kerala , wi th over 60 propert ies
across the state, which include a range of luxury and budget hotels as well
as Yatri Nivases and motels.
3.4.2 Tourists Resorts Kerala Limited [TRKL]
TRKL, a subsidiary company of the KTDC formed in 1989,
designated as the nodal agency for promoting private investment. In association
with the Taj and Oberoi hotel chains, the TRKL has established two joint
sector companies- Taj Kerala Hotels and Resorts l imited and the Oberoi
Kerala Hotels and Resorts limited.
24. G. Joseph Antony , “Promotion of Tourism Marketing” in M. Sarngadharan. and G Raju.,
Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development: Indian and Global Perspectives, New
Century Publications, New Delhi,2005, P.198.
117
3.4.3 Bekal Resorts Development Corporation Limited
( B R D C )
BRDC, is a company formed by the Government of Kerala for
the Bekal Tourism project. The aim of BRDC is to develop the infrastructure
needed for tourism development centred at Bekal beach.
A Tourism Advisory Committee has been formed in the state
to sustain the global brand image created by Kerala Tourism and to allow
penetration of the benefits directly to the local population. The committee
is commit ted to develop tourism in the s ta te and has a lso taken i t on a
priority basis. Marketing, Taxation, Conservation of Environment and Culture
and Human Resource Development are the four areas. The members of this
committee are from different organisations, which includes private companies
and government officials, academic institutions and eminent journalists.
3.5 MARKETING STRATEGY
Kerala is the “Green Paradise of India” Kerala holds almost
all the tourist attractions of the world. The State Department of Tourism,
along with pr ivate entrepreneurs , has been taking s teps to improve the
facili t ies and infrastructure, and places with tourism potential. Marketing
strategies are being evolved along with new and exciting tourism products.
Special Tourism Zones have been set up and special tax policies are formulated
for the conservation, preservation and development of tourism. All these
have in turn popularised Kerala as a eco-friendly destination.
3.5.1 Private Sector investment according to Tourism Vision 2020 is
the backbone of Kerala’s tourism sector. The hotel sector forms one of
the most important segments of the tourism industry with high potential for
employment generation and foreign exchange earning. Some international
118
and national hotel chains, which have established hotels and resorts in the
state, are the Taj, Oberoi, Casino, Lemeridian etc. The number of classified
hotels and rooms provided in Kerala is given in table 3.16.
Table 3.16: Number of Classified Hotels and Rooms Provided in Kerala
Category Number of Hotels Number of Roomsof Hotels
2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006
Five StarDeluxe 1 1 1 2 2 2 100 100 100 252 242 242
Five Star 4 6 7 7 8 8 260 469 469 469 557 557
Four Star 11 11 14 15 14 15 627 627 788 862 832 850
Three Star 23 27 40 61 98 115 893 1001 1511 2059 3033 3320
Two Star 59 60 62 78 91 93 1895 1910 1930 2241 2600 2639
One Star 28 28 28 31 26 26 783 783 783 852 652 652
Heritage/Resort 8 9 10 10 8 8 151 268 276 276 250 250
Total 134 142 162 204 247 267 4709 5158 5857 7011 8166 8510
Source: Economic Review 2007, State Planning Board, S.128.
Table 3.16 reveals that in 2001, the number of hotels in Kerala
was 134 and i t has increased to 267 in 2006. Kerala has to i ts credi t
8510 classified rooms, the maximum number of rooms being in three stars
hotels.
3.5.2 Tour operators have also played crucial roles in the development
of Kerala as a destination, by developing and highlighting the unique products
119
of the state. Most tourism products of Kerala, especial ly the house boat
holidays and ayurvedic packages, starts in a small way through local enterprises.
Private sector in tourism industry has been actively setting up the products,
services and marketing them in various source markets. Private sector is
very active in the areas of line operation, hotleering, tour operations, cultural
centres, shops for tourists.
3.5.3 The newly announced scheme of Department of Tourism, “Vazhiyoram”
scheme envisages creation of quality wayside facilities along the highways
and major roads leading to touris ts dest inat ions. The uniqueness of the
scheme is that i t is a perfect model of Public Private Partnership where
Government acts as a facilitator.
3.5.4 Kerala Travel Mart is another glorious result of the Public Private
sector partnership in the tourism industry. Kerala has been a regular participant
in the worlds largest travel marts, the International Tourism Exchange, Berlin
and the World Travel Market, London since 1993 and in the Arabian Travel
Mart since 1995. In addition to these, the state has also been participating
in the domestic travel and tourism trade fairs l ike the South Asia Travel
and Tourism Exchange and Conventions of the Travel Agents Association
of India (TAAI), the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) and the
Pacific Asia Tourism Association (PATA). The efforts of Kerala tourism
have been wel l recognised through many awards of PATA, Pacif ic Asia
Travel Writers Association (PATWA),TAAI, Government of India etc.
3.5.5 From the year 2000 onwards, the department of tourism jointly
with the private sector in travel and hospitality sectors, has been conducting
the Kerala Tourism Mart at Cochin, show casing the tourism products of
120
South India in general and Kerala in particular saw the emergence of tourism
in Kerala as ‘India’s First Tourism Super Brand’.25
3.5.6 From the mid 1990s onwards, the Department of Tourism started
shifting its focus from the print media to the electronic media, commanding
new marketing strategies using the latest IT developments. As per a sample
survey of various sources of tourist information, official website of Kerala
Tourism is the main source of information about tourism for the tourists.
In addi t ion to having i ts own websi te , Kerala Tourism has also brought
out a number of promotional CD-ROMs. The s ta te won several nat ional
awards from Government of India during 2006-07 which consists of best
performing state, best tourism village-Aranmula, best tourism website, best
marketed and promoted s ta te , Berl in Golden City Gate Awards for the
best tourism film, most effective use of Information Technology, best practices
by State Government, best eco-friendly projects, best eco-friendly tourism
destination, and the best maintained tourist friendly wild life sanctuary (Tiger
reserve Thekkady).
3.5.7 Kerala Tourism is also the f irs t s tate Tourism Department to
introduce a toll free telephone system. Another successful marketing strategy
adopted by the s tate is roping in t ravel wri ters and celebri t ies as brand
ambassadors and using their works for promotional activities.
25. Tourist Statistics 2005, Department of Tourism, P.20.
121
3.5.8 Promotional Campaign on Kerala has been launched in leading
television channels like BBC, Discovery, CNN and multi media tools like
CD- ROMs, DVDs etc .are some of the admirable promotional effor ts of
Kerala Tourism.
3.6 TOURISM PRODUCT
Tourism product is the amalgam of different tangible and intangible
elements. It is the sum total of tourists attraction, transport, accommodation
and entertainment facilities that produce customer satisfaction to the tourists.26
The tourism product can be entirely a man made one or nature’s creation
improved upon by man. The tourism product is analysed in terms of i ts
attractions, its facilities and its accessibility.
3.7 TOURISM DESTINATIONS AND PRODUCTS
IN KERALA
India’s only tourism Super brand, Kerala has a long term highly
focused marketing and conservation strategy that strengthens its positioning
as the destination for the global up market tourists. The State Governments
vision, policy and marketing strategies has made Kerala a successful tourism
product. All the promotional efforts of Kerala Tourism were supported by
the private sector. It plays an important role by developing initiatives for
the development and promotion of tourism.
26. Krishna K. Kamra, Economics of Tourism, Kanika Publishers, New Delhi, 2004, P.10.
122
3.7.1 One of the important tourism products of Kerala are its beaches.
Most of India’s f inest beaches are in Kerala. Kerala coast is l ined with
sandy beaches and coconut palms across i ts 600 ki lometres length. The
Kovalam beach is perhaps the most famous tourist destinations in Kerala.
Other important beaches are Varkala, Cherai , Kappad and Bekal.
3.7.2 The Western Ghat region in the east has some of the finest
hill stations like Munnar, Ponmudi, Wayanad and Wagamon. Kerala has 12
wild life sanctuaries and four national parks of which the most famous is
Thekkady (Periyar Tiger Reserve) and two national parks- Eravilulam National
Park and Parambikulam Wildlife Sanctuary. The Periyar Tiger reserve is
also one among the seven protected areas selected for the implementation
of the India Eco-Development Project (1996- 2002) by the World Bank
jointly with the State Government. 27
3.7.3 Kerala has 900 kilometres of tranquil backwaters, which adds
scenic beauty to the state. The most important being Vemband and Ashtamudi
are unique owing to the innovative tourism products. The beauty of Kerala
tourism is that, i t has been built by ordinary people with local resources
and technologies. Our Kettuvallam or the traditional houseboat is a shining
example. This innovative tourism product has brought Kumarakom in Kottayam,
Kollam and Alleppy regions of Kerala onto the tourism map.
27. Netto Nalini, “Tourism development in Kerala”,in B.A.Prakash (eds) Kerala’s EconomicDevelopment, Sage Publications, New Delhi, 2004, P. 281.
123
3.7.4 Kerala is the only place where ayurveda is pract iced in i ts
true and authentic form. The natural abundance of forests with herbs and
medicinal plants and well-defined cl imatic pattern with regular monsoon
often provide conducive ambiance for ayurvedic curative and rejuvenation
packages. Tourists from all over the country and abroad are seeking healing
in Kerala’s numerous ayurvedic centres. And, because of this populari ty,
the number of centre opening up across the state is substantially increasing.
In order to evaluate the facil i t ies and services provided in the ayurvedic
centres Government of Kerala has brought in quality control checks through
routine inspections and issue of certificates. Kottakkal, one of the famous
ayurvedic centre in Kerala attracts many tourists from all over the world.
3.7.5 Kerala is immensely rich in its unique art forms, culture
and heritage. The performing arts of the State like Kathakali, Koodiyattom,
Mohiniyattom and Ottamthullal, ritual arts like Kalaripayattu and Theyam
are unique in their s tyle and form. Of these, Koodiyat tom, one of the
oldest art forms and the only surviving form of the ancient Sanskrit drama,
has been recently declared by the United Nations Educational, Scientif ic
and Cultural Organisation as a World Heritage.
3.7.6 Another important tourism product , which at tracts tourists
to Kerala, is its ancient historical monuments and rich cultural heritage. A
scheme called Grihasthali brought out by Kerala Tourism to preserve traditional
architecture, by convert ing heri tage buildings (any building that is more
than 50 years old and bears the characteristics of traditional Kerala architecture)
into excellent accommodation options with modern facilities. In Kerala, there
are 122 his tor ical and her i tage monuments owned and protected by the
Department of Archeology and 22 monuments under Archaeological Survey
124
of India (ASI).28 Padmanaabapuram Palace, Jewish Synagogues at Mattanchery,
Dutch palace, Sakthan Thampuran Palace etc . are some of the her i tage
monuments which at t ract tour is ts on a wide scale . Fort Kochi Heri tage
Zone was ident i f ied as one of the best pract ices in the maintenance of
tourism friendly monuments preservation and conservation of heritage centres.
3.7.7 The t radi t ional fest ivals of Kerala l ike the Thrissur Pooram and
the Snake Boat Races in the backwaters are colourful social events that
reflect the vibrant culture of the land and its people. In addition to this,
the Department of Tourism also organises annual events l ike the Onam
Celebrations, Food Festivals and the Nishagandhi dance festival, Great Elephant
March highlighting the tradition and culture of the whole state. The State
Government now holds a culture tour, centred on Kerala Kalamandalam (at
Cheuruthy) the seat of performing arts of Kerala.
3.7.8 Health and medical tourism is perceived as one of the fastest
growing segments in marketing. Now a day the demand for medical tourism
in Kerala is increasing day by day. They are influenced by Yoga, Meditation,
Ayurveda, Allopathy and other alternative, medical therapies to high-level
specialised treatment like transplantation of vital organs cancer treatment,
neuro surgery etc. According to Confederations of Indian industry, India
has the potent ia l to a t t ract one mil l ion touris ts per annum which could
contribute up to $5 billion to the economy.29
28. Kerala Calling, March 2005, P.34.29. National Tourism Policy, 2002, Ministry of Tourism.
125
3.7.9 Kerala is a land of year round festivals. During the onam
season, the Government of Kerala announces one-week tourism celebrations.
Special religious convocations such as Sabarimala Makaravilakku,Thrissur
Pooram, Maramon Conventions etc. attract a large number of foreign and
domestic tourists to the state. Apart from this, there are a large number of
celebrations and festivals through out the year. This offers sufficient scope
for the development of festival tourism in the state.
3.7.10 Another important tourism product of Kerala is ecotourism. It
is the fastest growing tourism submarket. The term ecotourism originally is
defined as travelling to relatively undisturbed or uncontaminated areas with
the specific objective of studying, admiring and enjoying the scenery. The
Western Ghats of Kerala with i ts t ropical forest ecosystem provides a
natural advantage for the development of ecotourism. Thenmala-Ecotourism
project is the first planned ecotourism project in India. In Kerala, i t was
launched on 1st July 1998 and opened to the public on 1st April 2001. 30
Periyar Tiger Trial , an innovative trekking programme, conducted in the
Periyar tiger Reserves in Kerala is an ecotourism product. This programme
includes camping inside the forest and enjoying the scenic beauty of the
forest and the wild life. Parambikulam, Neliampathy, Pythamala, Nilambur,
Chimmony, Neyyar, Peppara, Peruvannamuzhy, Kakkayam, Munnar, Shenduruney,
Cheeyaparra, Muthunga, Janakikad, Marayoor, Thusharagir i , Kuruva and
Kulamavu are already being developed as eco-tourism destinations.30
30. Thampi, P. Santhosh, “Marketing Scenario of Ecotourism in Kerala” in M. Sarngadharan.and G Raju, Tourism and Sustainable Economic Development: Indian and GlobalPerspectives, New Century Publications, New Delhi, 2005, P.285.
126
31. The Hindu, “Eco-tourism to move to non- forest areas”, Monday ,December 4,2006.
3.7.11 Another important tourism product of Kerala is village tourism.
Vil lage tourism may be defined as the recreat ional experience involving
visits to rural environments for the purpose of participating in rural activities,
interacting with local people and understand the local culture, heritage and
tradition and to experience rurality. The main component of rural tourism
depends on the geographical location of that area. Kumbalanagi, the rural
village with diverse attractions is located very close to Cochin City selected
by Kerala Government develop as a model eco- tourism village.31
The potentialities of all these tourism products are located within
38863 square kilometres. It is a small state with big potentialities for the
simultaneous development of different tourism products. If the tourism industry
in the state is positioned in the name of one of the tourism products then
it will automatically result in the slow down of the growth of other tourism
products. Most suitable concept in order to maintain a fine balance between
different tourism products is integrated development of all the tourism products
–integrated tourism.
