Fests bring fleeting hope for Kovalam

Thiruvananthapuram: The phenomenon was noted only six years ago, a time when tourism in Kovalam had fallen on bad times. By now the tourism industry in Kovalam knows that ‘Santa Illusion’ will appear over the beach destination as surely as the flock of migrant black-winged stilts that touch down from the West for their annual Christmas stop over. The phenomenon refers to the sudden spurt in booking during Christmas and New Year, and has become more prominent during the last five-six years when tourism footfalls were dangerously close to silent during the season.

“There will be 90-100 percent occupancy in Kovalam from December 20 to January 15 and then the tourists vanish,” said G Sudhiesh Kumar, the president of Kerala Hotel and Restaurants’ Association. The phenomenon was always there, but if it has started to show up it is because the tourist numbers are markedly low before and after the 25-day period. The ‘Illusion’, though transitory, offers some relief to the industry. “Even when the charters deserted Kovalam and tourism was generally dull, the properties did great business during the 25-odd days between December 20 and January 15,” said Panicker of Green Isle Vacations.

This year, even though occupancy was an alarming 30-40 percent in the first week of December, a consequence largely of demonetisation, major properties in Kovalam have seen a considerable rise in bookings. This interest in Kovalam during Christmas and New Year is an anomaly. “It is felt that the New Year brings in a party crowd but Kovalam is perceived globally as a relatively prudish destination,” said Joseph George who runs a small resort in Mulloor. But the tourists who swarm the beach during the period are not the kind of people who can be described as party animals. “We see a lot of couples during the time, mostly middle-aged and above. They are less noisy and more contemplative and Kovalam provides the ideal background for them,” said Panicker.