Memorandum submitted to Tourism Minister in Berlin
The
association of major tour operators and the travel agencies of Europe have
urged the kerala tourism
board for the relocation of the international container transhipment terminal (ICTC) at Vizhinjam for the benefit of the tourism industry.
board for the relocation of the international container transhipment terminal (ICTC) at Vizhinjam for the benefit of the tourism industry.
Besides
the relocation the European agencies also sought direct flights to land at the
Trivandrum international airport and also the visa on arrival facilities to
travellers landing in the state.
The
above mentioned three demands were put forward the minister for tourism Mr.
A.P. Anil Kumar and secretary of kerala tourism Mr. Suman Billa who led the
Indian delegation for the state at the recently concluded ITB Fair in Berlin.
The
major European companies over 2,500 and having a total annual worth of 250 Millon
Euros ( Rs 1500 crore) to Kovalam and Vizhinjam have requested for the
relocation.
These
companies highlighted the importance of the beach tourism for kerala with their
decades of the experience in the field of tourism in their memorandum submitted
to the ministers at the fair.
According
to the memorandum Kovalam beach and Vizhinjam were the two major destinations
in kerala preferred by the Germans and the other Europeans as these places
provided the beach as well as the ayurveda tourism to the travellers.
the
report also pointed out that the travel agents
would sent about one lakh tourists to the state of kerala and 80% of them would
visit Kovalam and Vizhinjam in their holiday trip to kerala.
the memorandum also pointed out saying, “The
present location of the port is very bad for tourism. The natural beauty of the
beaches of Vizhinjam and Kovalam will be permanently lost and construction work
disturbances and port operations will destroy the future of tourism.”
The
travel agencies also said, “The present location of the port is very bad for
tourism. The natural beauty of the beaches of Vizhinjam and Kovalam will be
permanently lost and construction work disturbances and port operations will
destroy the future of tourism,”
The
association of the agencies and tour operators further added that the providing
of the visa on arrival and the availability of direct flights to
Thiruvananthapuram would be a major boost to the growth of the European
tourists visiting the state.
The
reports came out of the kerala tourism partners in Europe that the minister
took a keen note of the concerns raised by the association. The Minister was briefed
in the importance of changing of the port location in order to protect the
tourism based in Kovalam.
