THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government has exempted the tourism sector from hartal called by the LDF on Monday. The decision was taken by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in response to an ‘SOS’ by tourism principal secretary Dr V. Venu. In an urgent note submitted to the Chief Minister on November 26, the principal secretary presented the issue in all its magnitude. “The hartal falls during the peak tourism season and could cause severe difficulties and inconvenience to our guests. This, in turn, will affect future business and tarnish the brand equity of the Kerala Tourism brand,” the note said.
The Chief Minister’s response was swift. On Sunday, he issued directions to all concerned including the police and the unions to take all possible steps to ensure that the tourism sector was not affected by the hartal. Tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran has also requested all concerned to exempt tourists and tourist vehicles from the hartal.
The principal secretary's SOS has also been prompted by the need to ward off the impact of the hartal on a unique tourism event that would take place on hartal day. “It is a strange coincidence but the state will witness the largest movement of tourists on November 28,” Dr Venu said. He was referring to the "turnaround", a two-way movement of tourists, that would happen on the day. A group of 1,000-odd tourists will disembark at Kochi from the Italian cruise liner AIDAbella.
After spending a few hours in nearby tourism destinations, the group will be taken to the Nedumbassery Aiport to be flown back to their countries, mostly Germany and Britain. Simultaneously, on the very same day, another set of tourists will land at Nedumbassery, from where they will be taken to the Cochin Port Trust Terminal to board AIDAbella for a 20-day cruise half the way around the world. “The state will be used only as a transit point but still scheduling such a turnaround in our state also hints at the global importance accorded to the destination. If the hartal causes any difficulties for them, it will reflect badly on the state," tourism director U.V. Jose said.
