Hygiene key to tourism growth — minister

In the backdrop of increasing concern about irresponsible discarding of waste across the state, Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has reminded the tourism industry that cleanliness and hygiene were at the heart of a healthy growth in the tourism sector.

Speaking at an event related to the Responsible Tourism Mission at Kumarakom in Kottayam district, the chief minister also reminded tourism operators not to charge extra to visitors for keeping their premises clean.

State tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran said it was a feather in the cap for the state for being the first place in the world to launch responsible tourism in a local area. However, even as Kerala takes pride in its advancements in the tourism sector, there are hygiene issues that remain to be addressed.

During the chief minister’s visit to Kumarakom, a school boy gave him a petition, bemoaning the lack of a public toilet in the famed backwater tourism destination.

Hygiene issues are plaguing other tourism destinations, too. In Munnar, the rise in irresponsible garbage dumping is turning out to be a big challenge for tourism operators.