Kerala - Kochi   

Call to protect nature

Raj de Condappa

KOCHI: “Kerala should be called people’s own country rather than God’s own country…. Tourism should be promoted with honesty; otherwise it will be harmful to the State…,” commented Raj de Condappa, a Puducherry-based hotelier and one of the participants of the three-day long Kerala Travel Mart.

For one who had been to several travel marts across the country and abroad, the conclave held in Kochi was not appealing.

Mr. Condappa likes Kerala’s traditional architecture and the beautiful countryside, but he is apprehensive about the result of these grand designs to promote tourism.

“There was a mad rush to sell Kerala. People were overenthusiastic in exchanging visiting cards, sometimes resembling robots. But is there adequate infrastructure to accommodate an influx of tourists into the State?” he asks. “The end result will be that Kerala will lose its serenity.”

His own experience at the travel mart was not so good. Mr. Condappa said he had to park his vehicle outside the hotel for want of parking space. The food counters were crowded, and the women were left behind in the rush.

“The hospitality industry should know how to respect women,” he said.

Mr. Condappa vividly remembers the travel mart that was held two years, which according to him was a pleasing experience thanks to an appealing calm and order.

As the owner of a ‘concept hotel’ that does not have televisions or fridges in the rooms, Mr. Condappa advocates a tourism policy congenial to the environment. “Kerala’s rivers, backwaters and greenery are unparalleled. Promote this natural wealth. Anything that harms the nature will do more harm than good,” he said. But is the government listening?

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