Alalppuzha: With the weak monsoon starting to gain strength in the State, houseboat operators and tour agents here launched a slew of campaigns to make use of the advantage of monsoon for honeymooners.
Busy with online and offline package inquiries, operators are hoping for a robust inflow of tourists as the northern parts of the country are still struggling with the scorching sun. To make the season more memorable, the industry designed romantic houseboats packed with lots of facilities and services.
Tomi Pulikattil, a houseboat owner, says honeymoon is not only meant for newlywed couples, it is also for all couples to ignite their romance. “Houseboats are decorated so that each couple could romance under the stars with candlelight dining. Rooms are well furnished and luxury loaded, the houseboat gets a complete makeover”, he says.
“People from north India have already started flocking to Alappuzha to enjoy the rainfall. Every day, the industry reaps over Rs 40 lakhs during the monsoon season. This time considering the hot situation in the northern States, we have launched campaigns targeting young couples and the industry is now hopeful of a steady downpour ahead”, he says, adding that they had chalked out special schemes for a memorable vacation for each and every couple.
Switten George, another houseboat owner, says the IT crowd, particularly from the southern states, had shown a fascination for the backwaters, opting for a honeymoon on houseboats.
“We are getting a number of enquiries for honeymoon packages this time round. An attraction for techies to go on a honeymoon in the vast expanse of the Vembanad Lake is that it ensures that the company will not ask them to return urgently back to work since a houseboat can take quite a while to touch the shore”, he smiles.
Honeymooners arrive during the monsoon season to see Vembanadu and Punnamada lakes which look a bit intimidating in heavy rain as houseboats cut their way through the high tides.
''Be it a light shower or a downpour, the lakes and rivers look romantic. The palms on the shores add to the picturesque view of ‘God's Own Country,'”, he says.
Meanwhile in order to tap the advantages of this monsoon season, the tourism department of the State has already come up with different steps. Tourism secretary Suman Billa said that the discount-rate scheme, for the period from April to September, will add to honeymooners’ delight.
"The state gets a good number of youngsters as tourists out of which most of them are the romance-seeking crowds. This time the department is expecting more tourists compared to last year. For the monsoon season, taxes on accommodation of hotels is slashed from 12.5 per cent to 5 per cent”, he adds.
