Homestays to be graded in Kerala

, Secretary (Tourism), Government of Kerala, to know more on his department's plans for the year ahead.

Travelers who visit Kerala are opting for homestays, of late. What is the role that your department has to play to ensure all is well on that front?

There are around 200 homestays in Kerala. Homestays are indeed becoming more popular among the tourists who arrive here. The Department of Tourism has come up with elaborate guidelines for classification of home-stay units.

How do you plan the classification of Homestay units?

We propose to categorise homestay units as Diamond, Gold or Silver House, based on a set of criteria such as quality of accommodation, services and facilities provided etc. The aim is to have 1,500 classified units offering 5,000 rooms for tourists.

A wide variety of features adorn the Kerala tourism bouquet. Ranging from eco-tourism, adventure tourism, medical tourism and monsoon tourism, they have ensured that the industry stays ahead compared with the rest of India. What next?

Kerala is known for its unique products and those products will drive traffic to Kerala in the future also. But we will definitely look at strengthening the product portfolio with interesting offerings like farm and plantation tours, angling and fishing holidays, festivals, and gourmet tours. Honeymoons will become a key product in the portfolio especially for the domestic market. Could you elaborate on the tourist arrivals and the revenues the tourism industry managed to bring to its kitty?

We are just computing the final figures for the last year. But I can say that in the first eight months of 2006, the foreign tourist arrivals registered a growth of over 30 per cent over the corresponding period in 2005 and a more than proportionate increase in revenue in the same period. We expect that the final figures for 2006 will show an increase of around 20 per cent in arrivals. Do you think the medical tourism sector has performed up to potential? What more can the sector contribute?

I would rather call it medical travel. Kerala has immense potential to grow as a global medical travel destination because of the quality manpower and huge cost differential.

We are working closely with CII, which has evolved an accreditation system for hospitals and have formed a committee with leading hospitals in Kerala to chalk out a plan. I am sure that once the hospitals get accredited, the demand for medical services will peak. What do you foresee for 2007?

We are targeting a steady growth of around 20 per cent in international tourist arrivals. Tourism revenue is expected to grow at over 20per cent.

Monsoon tourism is said to have brought a world of good to Kerala tourism. Could you give us some facts that substantiate the success story?

Kerala Tourism has launched an aggressive monsoon campaign to promote the state during the off peak season months of June, July and August.

The campaign has been carried out in the national print media and on FM radio channels in leading metros like Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Bangalore.

As part of the campaign, Kerala Tourism had introduced 'Rainwalks' in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi and 'Monsoon Cultural Festival' to create activity and excitement. Going by the tourism minister's announcements, Kerala Tourism has embarked on the Responsible Tourism initiative in a big way. Could you elaborate on what the new initiative is all about?

Our aim is to position Kerala Tourism as a working Responsible Tourism model. The objective is to take the concept from rhetoric to practice, and to work with all stakeholders to ensure that the benefits of tourism to the local community are maximised.