A Spice Route Circuit will be conceived as the next major international tourism product of Kerala and corrective measures will be taken to check the fall of tourist arrivals and double foreign tourist arrivals within the next five years.
In his address to the Assembly on the opening day of the first session on Friday, Governor P. Sathasivam said a pilgrim tourism policy connecting pilgrim and cultural centres will be formulated by the government.
Annual calendar of major festivals
An annual calendar of major festivals will be prepared and a handicrafts festival will be organised as part of linking the industry with the tourism sector.
The principles of Responsible Tourism (RT) that ensures benefits to the local community will be broad-based to all the destinations in the State. An RT Classification for tourism units will be introduced, the Governor said.
Asserting that the government would accord priority to employment creation in the tourism sector, he said a new scheme would be rolled out to create job-oriented skills for youths, especially from the rural areas.
The thrust will be on strengthening tourism infrastructure through comprehensive waste management programmes, construction of basis infrastructure at all major tourist destinations and improvement of wayside amenities, including signages and information centres.
Conservation and preservation of heritage will be a focal area, the Governor said, adding that the Alappuzha Heritage Conservation initiative would be taken up in line with the Muziris Heritage project.
Safety and security of the tourists will be given prime importance and contingency response cells will be set up. Service of lifeguards and tourist wardens will be extended to more areas.
The Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies, State Institute of Hospitality Management, Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology, Kerala Institute of Hospitality Management Studies, leading manpower institutes to the tourism sector, would be strengthened.
KITTS would be developed into a Centre of Excellence, the Governor said in his address.
