Kerala Tourism

The Department of Tourism and the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation are the two agencies which carry out tourism development activities in the State. The KTDC and the Department of Tourism together spent an amount of Rs. 187.80 lakh during 1988-89 as against Rs. 125.08 lakhs in the previous year.
During the year 1988-89, the Department of Tourism undertook the following activities. Construction works of the beach resorts at Varkala and Kappad, Yatrinivases at Trivandrum, Quilon, Trichur and Cannanore, Guest Houses at Kas?,ragod and Cannanore, the Veli Tourist Village and a park and a restaurant at Shanghumugham beach were carried out by the Department. Wayside amenities were provided at five places. Water sports were introduced at Malampuzha and Kovlam. Three Mini Buses were purchased by the Department. Tourism Promotion Councils were organised in almost all districts. An institute of Tourism and Travel Studies was set up in the state to give a professional bent in the field of tourism.

On the publicity side, Winter cultural programmes and Tourism Week Celebrations were conducted. For the benefit of the tourists, various types of information materials such as Directory of Kerala, folders on Trinchur, Guruvayoor and Kalady and 'Travel facts" were published by the Department of Tourism. A spices Fair was conducted at Cochin and World Tourism Day was also celebrated.
About 52,000 foreign tourists and 1,2,40,000 domestic tourists are estimated to have visited the state during the year 1988-89.
The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation runs eleven hotel units and five motels within the state. In addition to the above, the Corporation has restaurants at Trivandrum Museum, Ponmudi and Veli. Except the hotel Chaithram and Periyar House at Thekkady, all other hotel units had an occupancy ratio of less than 60 per cent during the year 1988-89. The income of the Corporation stood at Rs. 227.14 lakh whereas the expenditure amounted to Rs. 219.38 lakh, of which the operating and administrative expenses work out to 31 per cent and 69 per cent respectively.