Focus on heritage and environment

By Our Special Correspondent

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, SEPT. 10. The draft tourism policy of the Government, released here today, envisages development of the State as an up- market high quality tourist destination through optimal use of resources with focus on conserving and preserving the heritage and environment.

Releasing the draft, `Tourism Vision 2025', the Minister for Tourism, Prof. K. V. Thomas, said the Government would withdraw from making fresh investments in the tourism field but would work as a catalyst to develop tourism as the State's core competency sector. The State Tourism Development Corporation, however, would not be privatised.

The policy lists an action plan to achieve a ten per cent increase in earnings from tourism with seven per cent growth in foreign and nine per cent growth in domestic tourist arrivals. This way, the policy hopes to create 10,000 job opportunities every year.

It proposes to promote and market Kerala tourism products at the national and international level thereby making the State a premier global tourist destination. The existing legislation such as The Kerala Land Utilisation Order, Rent Control Act, Labour Act, Building Tax Act and Excise law would be rationalised to facilitate the growth of tourism.

The Minister said the proposal to market canned toddy as a local drink in tourism centres, granting of permission to serve liquor in all star hotels and restaurants and sanctioning of beer and wine parlours in the private sector were under the consideration of the UDF Liaison Committee.

Prof. Thomas said the Government proposed to develop and improve roads, drinking water supply, power supply, sewage, sanitation and transport systems. An inter-Department conference, with Forest, Tourism, Irrigation, Electricity and Transport Ministers, would be held on Sept. 19 to discuss measures to be taken in this regard. Transport stations were proposed to be equipped with rest rooms and toilets, he said.

The policy proposes to create awareness and tourism consciousness among the people in general and among the taxi drivers, bus conductors, ports, customs and emigration officers and others with whom tourists encounter.

The promotion of tourism, the draft says, will be based on the carrying capacity of the destinations. Preservation of art, culture and heritage of the State will be part of the policy objectives. New innovative tourism products, lesser-known destinations, art forms, cuisines, monuments and handicrafts will be developed. Special tourism zones will be identified and measures taken to preserve and conserve them. The institutions for human resources development in this field will be developed into institutions par excellence. Panchayati raj institutions and non-governmental organisations will be involved in the development of the tourism infrastructure and tourism awareness.

The action plan envisages the Tourism Department as the nodal agency for coordinating all activities related to tourism. Studies are proposed to be held to evaluate the tourism potential. An apex body - with the Chief Minister as chairman, Ministers, Secretaries, vice-chairman of Planning Board and tourism experts as members - will coordinate inter-departmental efforts.

Area development plans, the draft says, will be prepared for all tourism destinations and plans and implementation will be reviewed periodically. A law on tourism conservation and preservation will be enacted to impose restrictions. An environmental impact assessment of all major projects will be a pre-requisite. The approval of tourism units by the Tourism Department will be made mandatory to guarantee quality services.

In the long term, the Government will withdraw all financial incentives to private sector investment and encourage the sector to invest in a more openly competitive environment. A single window system is proposed for clearing tourism projects, and a special campaign planned to attract NRI investments.

The Government, the draft proposes, will continue its focus on backwaters, Ayurveda and eco-tourism and various facilities will be developed for this purpose. Linking of the water ways from Kovalam to Kasaragod, development of connecting road networks, measures to enhance the quality of environment and proper solid and liquid waste disposal will be part of these efforts.

The establishment of a Backwater Tourism Development Authority and committee to review the implications of using Ayurveda as a tourism product, starting of eco-tourism programmes at Pamba and Kochu Pamba and plantation tourism are also among the proposals. A masterplan is proposed to be prepared for the sustainable use of backwaters.

The action plan proposes direct air connections from all major tourism markets to the three international airports in the State. All the major tourism roads are proposed to be developed on a build, operate and transfer basis. Funding will be sought from international lending agencies.

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Section  : Southern States
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