Kerala HATS, a trade body representing micro and small entrepreneurs in the tourism industry like Home Stay owners of different categories, has demanded a dedicated vehicle in the form of Kerala Rural Tourism Mission to address the specific challenges faced by their community in training, quality improvement, product development, branding and marketing and building market linkages.
In a representation to the State Tourism Minister, PC Vishnunath, Kerala HATS Chairman, MP Sivadathan has called for the constitution of a dedicated body exclusively focusing on small tourism entrepreneurs with the objective of enhancing their capacity building, quality standards, and branding and marketing efficiencies.
The existing government mechanisms in Kerala are not sufficient to effectively address the training, quality improvement, product development, digital marketing, branding and market linkages of small tourism entrepreneurs engaged in Homestays, Serviced Villas, Farmstays, Grihasthali, Rural Tourism and other related sectors, pointed out Sivadathan in his memorandum.
Kerala HATS proposed the Mission should function as an integrated platform bringing together training, handholding support, product development, digital marketing, booking and market linkages, quality standards, and the development of local tourism clusters under a single institutional framework.
“Thousands of small tourism entrepreneurs in Kerala should be made key partners in the State’s tourism growth. Strengthening small enterprises that provide quality experiences at affordable prices, and establishing a dedicated ‘Kerala Rural Tourism Mission’ for them, is the need of the hour,” he said.
As hotel tariffs are going out of the roof impacting tourism negatively, Kerala HATS Chairman also called for measures to strengthen and promote alternate accommodations like Homestays, Farmstays and Serviced Villas in Kerala to create suitable accommodation options for both domestic and international tourists across different income groups.
These establishments not only provide affordable accommodation to tourists but also offer opportunities to experience Kerala’s food, culture, agriculture, village life, nature and local activities directly, Sivadathan said.