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Published on : Tuesday, September 22, 2020
Kerala is coming out with a plan that will emphasize the regenerative aspects of Ayurveda for upholding the state’s tourism sector, amounting to an estimated Rs. 45,000 crore in annual revenue.
Ayurveda is an integral part of medical tourism, focusing on traditional massages and beauty treatments. It expects to attract foreign tourists along with rich locals in the backdrop of Covid-19 pandemic which has led to an increasing penchant for healthy and natural way of life.
Kerala has lost around Rs. 20,000 crore in revenue so far.
“A lot of buzz has been generated during the covid response of Kerala in national and global media, which will help us to instill the idea that it is a safe place. We are also hoping that Ayurveda, which actually boosts immunity, will have a big role in attracting tourists once the tourist destinations are open,” said P. Bala Kiran, Director, Department of Tourism in Kerala.
“We have sent a proposal to the government and the decision is pending. The government is consulting other departments as well and may soon take a call. Once a decision is taken to open tourism destinations, we will be doing a big tourism campaign,” he added.
Reopening tourism destinations would need various relaxations like easing of quarantine rules, which Kerala still requires for out-of-state travelers, but it should be in sync with standard operating procedures for social distancing, Covid protocols and so on.
Bala Kiran said that tourism has been hit harshly in the last eight months since late February to September.
“…But we are hoping that if we are able to catch the tourism season which starts in October till March, maybe we can do some damage control,” Bala Kiran opined.