Kerala is all set to transform itself from being the best tourism destination to the perfect tourism investment destination in the country, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has said.
He was speaking after inaugurating the Tourism Investors Meet (TIM) here on Thursday. The Chief Minister also called upon the investors to become partners in Kerala’s transformation into a world-class economy by investing in the State’s flourishing tourism sector.
The TIM, according to Mr. Vijayan, is intended to connect investors with key stakeholders, local entrepreneurs, and industry experts to explore potential collaborations and gain valuable insights into Kerala’s tourism ecosystem. A single window clearance system has been set up to assist tourism investors and a facilitation centre to follow up on the preliminary deliberations at the investors meet. The State, he pointed out, is providing investment subsidies and incentives and encouraging Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs) in the tourism sector.
The Chief Minister also put up the numbers to back the emergence of Kerala as a global tourism hotspot after the pandemic COVID-19. In terms of domestic tourist arrivals, the State hit an all-time record in 2022, with 1.88 crore domestic travellers visiting Kerala. International tourist arrivals also registered a growth of 171.55 % in the first half of 2023, compared to the first half of 2022. Tourism accounts for about 12% of Kerala’s GDP and almost a quarter of the State workforce - 23.5% - is employed in the tourism sector, he said.
The effort at transforming Kerala Tourism is part of the overall project of transforming the State, into a knowledge economy and an innovation society. Explaining the details of the sectors that look for investment, he said MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences, and exhibitions) facilities are aplenty in Kerala. Further, hospitality, leisure, entertainment, human resources, IT, wellness, heritage, wildlife, backwaters, hill stations, and beaches are all areas that can create rewarding investment opportunities in the State, he added.
The State is very keen to promote responsible and sustainable tourism investments that align with Kerala’s commitment to environmental conservation and community development. The expectations of modern travellers are high. “Kerala is already meeting them, but we want to exceed them. To me, that is where this meet can make a marked difference,” the Chief Minister said, adding that the TIM will be a game changer in Kerala’s tourism development.
Kerala will draft a comprehensive ‘Mission 2030’ master plan that aims to raise the State’s GDP out of its travel and hospitality sector to 20% from the present 12%, said Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas who chaired the session. A detailed blueprint of the project will be published early next year, he said. Revealing that the projects under Mission 2030 will adhere to the sustainable development goals, eco-conservation and responsible tourism, Mr. Riyas said the government will catalyse public-private partnerships, enhance subsidies and provide grants.
