Houseboats are set to make a foray into Kochi, with the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) throwing open its renovated cruise boat terminal near the High Court on Thursday.
A houseboat, a tourist boat, and two speed boats will be berthed at the terminal. The DTPC has tied up with Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC), a Kochi-based firm, and a Dubai-based one for introducing a total of 50 houseboats in the Kochi backwaters in the coming years.
Minister for Tourism Kadakampally Surendran inaugurated the revamped cruise terminal and launched the first houseboat on Thursday. He lauded stakeholders for enabling the tourism sector to bounce back, within a year of the devastating floods. He also promised all help from the government to firms venturing into tourism.
The introduction of houseboats, tourist vessels, and speed boats will see Kochi make strides in tourism. The renovated terminal at Marine Drive will pave the way for a boat hub in the region. A new boat of KSINC will operate from there, sources said.
The entry of houseboats will also revive boat building and allied trades. It will throw open opportunities for women to prepare home-cooked food to tourists, DTPC officials said. Those who were present at the function included KSINC managing director N. Prasanth and actor Dharmajan Bolgatty.
MICE tourism
The introduction of houseboats in Ernakulam will further boost Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism in the backwaters.
Houseboat operators are keen to venture into other districts since a cap has been placed on the number of houseboats in Alappuzha and Kottayam, where their proliferation has led to issues involving sewage disposal. The Ports Department had in 2018 stopped registering houseboats in the two districts since a bulk of 900 such vessels in Kerala operate there. For the record, the DTPC had sought permission from Kerala Tourism and Local Self Government departments for setting up a houseboat terminal-cum-hub on Kadamakudy island. The Chittoor-Cheranallore route and the waterbody on the north-western parts of the city are ideal to operate and berth them.