Kerala resumes houseboat service to boost tourism amid Covid-19

The Covid-19 restrictions had stopped all boat services in Kerala's Kumarakom for almost a year but now all are back for Christmas and New Year tourism season

The tourism in Kerala is witnessing an overwhelming footfall as the houseboats are operating again after a long gap due to Covid-19 infection and lockdown.

"The Covid-19 restrictions stopped all boat services in Kumarakom for almost a year, now all are back for Christmas and New Year tourism season", said a boat owner.

"Houseboat tourism restarted after a long time in Kottayam as Covid-19 situation has improved after the pandemic but footfall isn't high. 70 per cent of tourists are from Kerala while the rest 30 per cent are from other states", said Sreekumar another houseboat owner. "I hope that the Omicron situation would be over soon and the tourism business will bounce back", Sreekumar added.

According to him, the houseboats have seen a dip in booking in January in the wake of increasing Omicron cases. The houseboat owners are following all Covid-19 protocols with the tourists. Some houseboat owners lamented over the absence of foreign tourists in Kerala post-pandemic.