Kerala: Tourism after the flood
Kerala has just witnessed the worst flood in a century. Large parts of the state have been devastated and some of its best known tourist destinations like Munnar, Wayanad and the Backwaters were affected. Tourism is a major revenue earning sector for Kerala, contributing over 12% of GDP. The main tourism season is from September to March. The Government and the people of the State are working hard and many of the tourist facilities and sightseeing spots are back to functioning as usual. However, going by past experiences globally in places that have suffered natural disasters, it can be expected that visitors will have apprehensions to travel to Kerala and tourist inflow will be limited this season. This would mean that much of this year’s tourism business would be impacted. However it is necessary for Kerala to assure tourists that the State is safe place to travel to. Millions of people in the State make a living from tourism activities either directly or indirectly and it