TBM Staff - Hyderabad In a bid to boost tourism in the state, the Kerala government has resumed houseboat services after a long gap. The services remain suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic for a long time. Given the number of unpredictable lockdowns and travel bans across the country, the houseboats went out of service in Kerala.
But now that the services have resumed, the state is witnessing a boom as the houseboats are the heart of the state. The houseboat owners are quite happy with the decision. In Kottayam, as soon as the pandemic situation improved, houseboats started services but this didn’t increase the footfall.
Kerala is a state that largely depends on tourism. The pandemic hit the boat owners really hard as they lost out on tourists. But now with a hike in the number of travellers, the boat owners have something to look forward to.
Though international travel hasn’t picked up yet, the houseboat owners are looking forward to restarting their business after a long halt. The houseboat services have resumed with COVID-19 restrictions in place. People are aware of the necessary protocols and are also following the same.
But with the number of Omicron cases rising in the country, the houseboat owners have also seen a sharp fall in the bookings in the month of January, which doesn’t look good. Recently, the state government had organised Beypore Water Fest, which is one of the biggest water-themed events in India, to boost tourism and adventure sport in the state.
