Kerala: Kerala tourism is experiencing a surge as houseboats resume operations after a long hiatus caused by COVID-19 outbreak and lockdown.
"The COVID-19 limitations halted all boat services in Kumarakom for over a year, but now they're all back for the Christmas and New Year tourism season," a boat owner remarked.
"Houseboat tourism has resumed in Kottayam after a long hiatus as the COVID-19 situation has improved since the pandemic, but footfall is still low. 70% of visitors come from Kerala, with the remaining 30% coming from other states.
Backwater boat services were suspended from May 2020 when Kerala proclaimed statewide lockdown due to an increase in COVID delta variant infections. On August 5, the District Administration in Alappuzha, Kerala, restarted houseboat services after fully vaccinated staff were granted authorization to sail the boats. District Collector A. Alexander issued a statement on July 28 outlining the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) to be followed in this case.
The Kerala Tourism Ministry has requested that passengers produce at least one vaccination dose proof or RTPCR Covid negative report from 72 hours prior to boarding in order to promote safe tourism. Workers and employees on houseboats were also asked to get properly vaccinated against Covid-19.
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