ALAPPUZHA: Alappuzha has witnessed an influx of domestic and foreign tourists ahead of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race which is a couple of weeks away.
Earlier, the tourism season in Alappuzha was confined to the five-month period from October to February, but because of several promotional steps taken by the state tourism department, foreign tourist arrivals continue during the other months also. This has cheered the houseboat industry.
Mr Switten George, vice-president, Kerala Houseboat Owners Association, says the tourist visa on arrival introduced at Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi international airports had boosted the tourism prospects.
“Last year, there was good presence of foreign tourists at the Nehru Trophy Boat Race venue which will be repeated this season also,” he says.
According to Mr Tomi Pulikattil, a houseboat owner, foreigners visit Alappuzha throughout the year now. The number of domestic tourists visiting here has also gone up.
The seaplane project initiated by the government would bring in more foreign tourists, he adds.
As per the tourism department data, foreign tourist arrivals in the state had gone up from 8,58,143 in 2013 to 9,23,366 in 2014 registering a growth of 7.60 percent.
