Tough times don’t last — but not for everyone. After enduring difficulties, one after another in recent years, the backwater tourism sector has found itself facing headwinds with a downturn in tourism activity.
The woebegone sight of submerged houses and people being rescued in houseboats from Kuttanad during the great deluge of 2018 won’t be forgotten any time soon.
The floods had brought the industry, already gasping for breath after Cyclone Ockhi and Nipah outbreak, to a grinding halt with zero visitors in the weeks and months following it.
When it seemed to be slowly limping back to normality, the 2019 floods brought further pain to the sector. COVID-19 was the last thing the industry needed.
Many cancellations
“The COVID-19 scare and the subsequent declaration of State calamity stemmed the tourist flow and led to large-scale cancellations in February. Compared to the corresponding period the previous year, business is down by more than 50%. In our hotel, around 60% of rooms are lying vacant,” says Tomy Thomas, managing director, Arcadia Regency.
Houseboat owners say they are finding it difficult to keep the business afloat in the face of recurring setbacks. Houseboats do the majority of business during the peak tourism season between November and February.
“The Nipah outbreak and back-to-back floods had left the houseboat industry tottering. COVID-19 is the final nail in the coffin. It has resulted in at least 60% cancellations in February. Even domestic tourists are skipping the destination. In peak season, on average, we get 25 to 28 trips a month. Contrary to expectations, a large number of boats remain at anchor for the past several days without guests. But, we are still obliged to pay tax and salaries to employees, making the business unsustainable,” says, K. Vijayan, secretary, All Kerala Houseboats Owners Association.
Kevin Rosario, general secretary, All Kerala Houseboat Owners and Operators Samiti, said the houseboat sector witnessed 50 to 70% cancellations in February alone following the COVID-19 scare. He put the average loss suffered by a houseboat owner due to the decline in activity at ₹1.2 lakh.
Job potential
Around 8,000 people are attached directly with the industry and many thousands indirectly. The houseboat owners have urged the government to market the destination as a safe and responsible host. “Better marketing can reverse the trend and help revive the sector. Besides, the government should initiate steps to prevent another flood in the region. ,” Mr. Vijayan says.
T.G. Abhilash Kumar, Deputy Director, Tourism Department, says the situation will improve in the coming weeks.
