Tourism sector upbeat over High Court breather for liquor bars

Alappuzha: The tour operators and houseboat owners here hope for a revival of their business with the High Court order allowing bars to remain open until January 20.  The houseboat owners’ association had already sought a moratorium on the loans taken by its members saying that the new liquor policy had hit their business badly and that they were unable to repay the loans.

A memorandum in this regard was submitted to Chief Minister Oommen Chandy last month and it was forwarded to the  State Level Bankers’ Committee (SLBC).

Mr N. Sreekumar, general secretary of the association, said though the court verdict was a big relief to the industry, the  government’s liquor policy was a spoiler for backwater tourism.  The industry stays afloat with over '15 crore loans taken from banks,  he said.

The government has asked the tourism and labour department secretaries to submit an impact  report on the liquor ban in a month giving hints of  liquor relaxation to the industry.   

“Cocktail parties are important for companies which hold conferences in houseboats. The tourists seldom go to Bevco outlets. Therefore, the court verdict has brought in some relief to the sluggish industry,”  said Tomi Pulikattil, a houseboat owner.

Tour operators here observe that the Goa tourism will lure the tourists from Kerala. “Many  tourists have switched their plans to Goa, which host several tourist-friendly programmes, including international shows and cultural events,” said  Binu Joseph, a tour operator.