Kerala Tourism’s Keravanis huge success among entrepreneurs

Published on : Friday, November 12, 2021

It appears that Kerala Tourism’s Keravan Kerala has been an instantaneous hit among entrepreneurs in the State.

People have made a beeline to register for operating tourist caravans and setting up caravan parks under the caravan tourism project. Within the first two days of opening of online registration, the Tourism Department has received applications for around 100 tourist caravans and 25 caravan parks. The caravans are expected to hit the road in January 2022.

“The initial response to the registration is fantastic. Most of the people registered are young and new individuals who are looking to do something afresh. This shows that there are many young entrepreneurs willing to come forward. We have also received some enquiries from the film fraternity. We hope some of them will register in the coming days,” says Tourism Director V.R. Krishna Teja.

The State Government unveiled the caravan tourism policy in September. It garnered great interest from the travel and hospitality sectors, among other stakeholders in tourism.

As per the policy, two types of tourist caravans can be operated in Kerala- rigid (vehicle and accommodation facilities are built as a single unit) and towed/trailer caravans (separate accommodation facility, which will be towed by a suitable vehicle for transportation). The caravans will have all the necessary facilities for a comfortable stay.

The Government has also announced subsidies for the first 300 caravans registered. The first 100 caravans will receive an incentive of ₹7.50 lakh or 15% of the total cost, whichever is less. The next 100 vehicles will get ₹5 lakh or 10% of the expenditure. For caravans 201 to 300, the subsidy will be ₹2.50 lakh or 5% of the cost. The investment subsidy will be given to a maximum of five caravans per entity or individual.

The caravan parks will come up in eco-friendly settings while ensuring the safety of tourists. It will have facilities for meeting the requirements of caravans and tourists.