Kerala New Trends

The dramatic increase of tourists who seek to touch the heart of the destination and unveil its soul, reveling in the simplest of pleasures has given rise to the concept of home stays in Kerala. They present a bright, affordable and secure accommodation option for today’s enlightened tourists. Home stays bridge the gap of quality accommodation in the state and also paves the way for a unique cultural exchange and penetration of the benefits of tourism directly to the common man. Home stays of Kerala are classified into three types – diamond, gold and silver houses.

This is a scheme to preserve our traditional architecture by converting traditional home into excellent tourist accommodation options with modern facilities. In addition to offering a taste of the authentic Kerala life style, Grihasthali will also inspire public participation in tourism promotion. Homes more than fifty years old built in traditional Kerala architecture are eligible for this scheme for which financial incentives are offered.

The objectives of the scheme lies in to develop attractive centres, products and activities within the village which are beneficial to the locals as well as the tourists with the participation of local self governments leading to the creation of more employment opportunities to the local population and to ensure tourist friendly environment in the villages. As part of the decentralizing planning in the state, funds are allocated to the local bodies and they will implement and operate projects. New and aesthetic products, creation of basic facilities, adventure sports, village squares, traditional crafts and recipes, agro products, heritage areas, sustaining greenery etc. are included in this scheme.

The project is planned to evolve town centres as a general meeting centre for tourists and the public in major cities. The project will be implemented in association with the local bodies that are able to provide the required land for the scheme.

Kerala, the land epitomizing religious tolerance and communal harmony has all religious faiths living here making their contribution to the cultural synthesis through a number of pilgrim centres. The project plans to promote and provide pilgrim facilitation complexes at important pilgrim centres of state, national and importance.

This scheme will be launched shortly. The primary objective of the project is to prepare the farms or plantations of Kerala to receive tourists by presenting a positive image of the farm and of agriculture as a whole. Minimum infrastructure facilities will be provided for tourists.

This unique scheme is setting up way side amenity centres on all major national and state highways and tourist centres across the state. The centres provide quality food and drinks and toilet facilities. The tourism department provides incentives for entrepreneurs setting up Vazhiyoram.

Medical tourism has two aspects to its credit; the vast knowledge and advanced medical fraternity and tourism. The unique feature of medical tourism in Kerala is that people especially from other countries and NRIs can come here to avail medical facilities that are of the highest standards, at an affordable price. This industry is literally expanding in leaps and bounds and Kerala has immense untapped potential in this area. The Government has started to promote Kerala has an ideal Medicare destination.

This refers to a comprehensive tourism planning approach or model which symbolically integrates sotto cultural, economic, environmental and infrastructural responsibility in tourism. It minimizes negative impacts and generates greater economic benefits for local people and community It helps in evolving guest – host relation ship, enhances tourism, makes local people participate in decision making and to reap the benefits of tourism. This scheme is presently implemented in an experimental basis in four destinations – Kovalam, Kumarakom, Thekkady and Waynad.

In order to create awareness of tourism among school and college children tourism clubs have been formed at higher secondary schools and colleges across the state. World tourism day celebrations, tourism quiz and competitions, district and state level camps and fam tours are conducted for tourism clubs.

Other schemes include classification of house boats (Gold & silver star) and ayurveda centres (Green and olive leaf). An eco friendly classification called ‘Eco Kerala’, investor support cell, investment subsidy for various schemes etc. are also available.