The tourism
sector in the south Indian state of Kerala is yet to get the benefits granted
to industries despite the state being the first in the country to accord industry status to it nearly 35 years ago, according to stakeholders in the
sector.

The state
government should take immediate action to issue an order and
list the benefits, the FENIX 2022 seminar organized by the Association of
Approved & Classified Hotels of Kerala (AACHK) said.

The state issued such an order in 1986 during the tenure of K Karunakaran as chief
minister, with the sector getting benefits extended to industries such as the exclusion of hotel building from onetime tax, industrial rate for power
connection instead of commercial rate, and the like. However, the order was
repealed a year later.

The tourism
stakeholders in the state have received no such benefits so far. The industry
is currently passing through a difficult phase. It’s the need of the hour to
list the tourism sector to revive it after the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic,
the seminar demanded.

The stakeholders are also severely affected by the stoppage of the investment subsidy
scheme, earlier extended to help the players tide over the crisis in the
sector. “The investment subsidy scheme should be reformed in line with the
changing times and restored urgently,” the seminar appealed to the state
government.

The stakeholders further underlined the need to adopt an effective tourism marketing
strategy and measures, such as setting up a branch of the Tourism Finance
Corporation, to make the sector competitive.

Tourism
minister P A Muhammed Riyas, who inaugurated the seminar, assured all
assistance from the part of the state government to revive the vital sector.

“The
government will give due consideration to all demands of stakeholders and take
appropriate action to give a new fillip to the sector, reeling from the
pandemic effects. The aim is to make the entire state a favourite tourist
destination,” he said.

The
hospitality sector will be boosted and events like the Champions Boat race will
be celebrated in a major way to attract tourists. Also, the government is
attempting to find a solution to the traffic congestion issue by widening
national highways and building related infrastructure, the minister added.