Tourism Day sees God’s Own Country’ keep the world out

In a stark irony, yesterday, the day that is observed as World Tourism Day, a day meant to observe “tourism for inclusive growth” as stated by the World Tourism Organisation – One of India’s tourism stars, Kerala, remained inaccessible owing to the general shutdown called in solidarity with protesting farmers.

Ever since Walter Mendis, a creative director at Murdra Communications penned the tagline ‘God’s own Country’ for the Kerala tourism brand in 1989, the state has been a frontrunner in India’s tourism industry, but disruptions like yesterday’s have been its bane.

This time it hurt still more because Kerala’s tourism industry has been severely impaired owing to the Covid-19 pandemic as other destinations across the world have been.

Struggling industry

Shutdowns are common in Kerala, but yesterday’s was one that was least expected, coming as it does just when the tourism industry is struggling to its feet after the pandemicinduced reverses.

“Keralites were expecting a new normal after the catastrophe of the pandemic, with an end to the extortionist practices like hartal and ‘nokku kooli’ (gawking fee). Sadly, we are disappointed”, one of Kerala tourism industry pioneers Jose Dominic told