Kumarakom sees tourist activity after months of closure

Tuesday, December 22, 2020

The scenic canals and the tree-lined pathways of Kumarakom, which are lying empty for the last few months after the nationwide lockdown, have started to be lively with visitors once again.

The long-weekend coinciding with the Christmas-New Year season has provided a welcome boost to tourism in this village destination, which still continues to feel the impact of a COVID-19 induced lockdown.

Majority of the hotel and resort operators in Kumarakom have witnessed almost 100 percent bookings since the second week of December, bringing some relief to the battered hospitality sector.

However, with the rooms booked far below the usual rates, the business margins have also fallen strikingly.

“The bookings have increased gradually since the reopening a couple of months ago and it has now hit a peak with the Christmas season. The overall business, however, remains well under the volumes recorded usually during the same period in the previous years when the village gets jampacked with tourists,” said K. Arun Kumar, secretary, the Chamber of Vembanad Hotels and Resorts (CVHR).

Hopes are increasing regarding reopening of international borders, and the hospitality industry is hopeful of the business gaining momentum once foreign clients start pouring in.

“The current spate of bookings is expected to last only till the first half of January and from there on, we will need the foreign clients to push on,” Kumar added.

Visitors have started trickling into the village interiors as part of the village-life experience packages offered by the Responsible Tourism Mission Kerala. Last week, the Mission had around 20 guests, mostly from other States, and it is expecting to witness 40 more in the coming week.

“We are on a clear path to recovery and this may well hit the right track with the ongoing season,” said K.Rupesh Kumar, Coordinator, RT mission.

While tourists from within Kerala are aiming to explore new destinations like Vaikom or Punnayurkulam, guests from other states have mostly stuck to conventional destinations like Kumarakom.

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