Flood and landslips hit hard tourism sector

Kottayam: Just as Kerala’s much-touted tourism sector was barely recovering from the last year’s floods, when heavens opened all faucets for the second time last week, dipping the tiny sliver of a state in neck-deep water, hauling along with it the state’s prospects of recovering the tourism sector.

Hundreds of the state’s leading hotspots and locales look deserted, with no usual throng of domestic and foreign travellers.

Kerala’s burgeoning tourism economy was still reeling from the last year’s devastating floods when it happened in a repeat of catastrope, only more harrowing this time.

Tour operators and hoteliers have no hopes of recovering any soon from this jolt of losing precious bookings for rooms and sightseeing.

Hundreds of booking by of domestic and foreign travellers have been cancelled, gutting seasonal prospects like Onam and monsoon operations.

The most suffered in the chaos include tourist destinations in Kottayam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Kollam, Palakad and Wayanad.

Continuing rains and threat of landslip stopped travellers from turning to Kerala. Tourists have cancelled package bookings in Munnar, Wayanad and Alapuzha; KTDC also face large scale losses.

The situation adversely affected hotel booking, house boats, and resorts.