Another vessel for backwater tourism in Kerala

Our Bureau

Tourist boat Astamudi at KSINC's slipway in Thopumpady in Kochi. - Vipin Chandran

Kochi , Nov. 9

IN view of the enthusiastic response from tourists to backwater cruise, the

Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC) is in the process of
launching one more vessel as part of its backwater tourism promotion initiatives.

The KSINC Managing Director, Mr K. N. Satheesh, said that the Corporation

would soon deploy one more vessel, which was recently taken over from the
District Tourist Promotion Council, Kollam for a facelift.

The vessel Ashtamudi was taken over by the Corporation after providing a token
payment of Re 1 so as to convert itinto a modern vessel, which can be operated
in the backwaters to promote tourism.

The maintenance work is expected to cost around Rs 30 lakh, which would be

completed in six months. KSINC had brought the vessel to its Slipway Complex
at Thoppumpady by toying the vessel through the backwaters from Kollam. It
was a very difficult voyage to tug the vessel through the backwaters.

The roof and chimney were removed so that they did not ram into low-lying
bridges. It could not be taken through the sea due to some holes in the hull, said
Mr Satheesh.

After completion of the work, the vessel will be deployed either in the backwaters
of Kollam or Kochi for sight seeing purposes. However, a decision in this regard
will be taken by the KSINC Board, he said.

Referring to the package offered by Sagara Rani, which was launched by KSINC
about two months back, Mr Satheesh said that there has been a good response
from tourists, especially for exclusive bookings. The sunset cruise tops the
demand list, as the ship goes well into the sea for two hours. KSINC is charging
Rs 200 per head. Last month, the Corporation had able to fetch Rs 2 lakh from
its tourism cruise through the backwaters, he said, adding that this was achieved
even without a full-fledged marketing strategy.

Ashtamudi was in a half sunken state for more than a year at the Ashramam
Adventure Park, Kollam. The boat was used for sight seeing around Ashtamudi
Lake. As in the case of Sagara Rani, this vessel was also constructed at Cochin
Shipyard Ltd in 1992.

Most of the costly accessories such as fans and bulbs were stolen from the vessel
and the railings and the floor in the exteriors of the boat are badly corroded.

The condition of the upper deck is worse and resembles a metal scrap yard. Like
Sagara Rani, Ashtamudi can also be deployed in the sea, as it has two power
horse engines that can ply 15 nautical miles.

2
Study on backwater tourism under way
Tunia Cherian George

MUMBAI, Aug 1

IN a bid to preserve the State's ecosystems and to sustain its tourism potential,
Kerala's Tourism Department has commissioned a study on the development of
its ecologically fragile backwaters.

The Kerala Tourism Secretary, Mr T. Balakrishnan, toldBusiness Line that a

domestic consultant firm has been selected for the study after tenders were
invited for the same.

The firm is expected to complete the study and submit a detailed report in 12
months.

The masterplan is expected to cover broad areas such as development of the

backwaters relating to existing and envisaged tourism products, infrastructure
and utilities.

It will also make detailed development proposals for the full utilisation of their
tourism potential and prepare proposals for the conservation of the backwaters
with respect to an environment management plan and carrying capacity
assessment.

The assessment will take into account other uses of the water bodies such as
fishing, irrigation and navigation.

The firm is also expected to submit proposals for improving the financial and
social condition of the local community linked with the development plans.

The masterplan would also throw up recommendations for phasing of the

development proposals for three periods - before 2007, 2008-2015 and 2015-
2025, and a marketing plan covering target markets and market strategies.

It would assess the investment requirements for the three-phased development

of the backwaters with possible private participation.

Emphasising the department's initiatives for the sustainable development of

tourism, the Minister said that Kerala was the first State to go in for legislation -
the Tourism (Conservation, Preservation and Trade) Bill - to usher in quality
control in its tourism products.

He said that the department was not looking at numbers alone.

The State has been positioned as a destination for the high-spending tourist.

The department also proposes to put in place an incentive scheme whereby

tourist facilities would be graded (`A', `B', `C', and so on) for their compliance
with ecological norms under an ecological certification system.

In an attempt to develop exclusive facilities, the department has also pushed the
concept of "boutique tourism'' for the development of "small, 30-40 room resorts
that recreate the ambience of the State''.

The facilities would provide an ethnic touch to the department's tourism

development efforts.

It is also believed that such small-scale ventures will open the travel and tourism
trade to new entrepreneurs, he said.
3
`Lake Princess' set to sail thru backwaters
V. Sajeev Kumar

Kochi , Dec. 30

`LAKE Princess', the sailing resort owned by the Kerala Shipping and Inland
Navigation Corporation (KSINC), is all set to sail through the backwaters of the
State in the New Year.

The catamaran, refurbished by the KSINC, is to offer various packages for

individuals and families with boarding facilities for 16 persons in a voyage. The
tourist boat, which was in a dilapidated state, was taken over from the Tourism
Department and reconstructed at a cost of Rs 50 lakh.

Mr K.N. Satheesh, Managing Director, KSINC, told Business Line that marketing
of the cruise had been planned in line with the Nile River Cruise to attract foreign
tourists. The corporation has formed a separate wing in association with tour
operators for marketing its various cruises. Already, 10 firms are there both in
the State and outside working as general sales agents of the company.

The new vessel will be operated in the inner backwaters covering the stretches of
Vembanad and Ashtamudi lakes. The rates have been fixed at Rs 3,000 per head
including food for an overnight stay.

It is a fibreglass boat with two hulls to provide better stability and more comfort
to the tourists. All the six rooms are air-conditioned with two rooms four bedded
and others two bedded. The interior of the boat is so designed to give special
ambience to feel like star accommodation. A well-furnished modern kitchen is
also provided on board to cook food for the guests. The cook and other
attendants on board are professionally trained to cater to the needs of the
passengers.
The toilets are fitted with bio-degrader and bio-nutroder, which is eco and
environmental friendly. The Marine Products Export Development Authority and
the Central Institute of Fisheries Technology have approved the technology, as it
protects the fish wealth in backwaters, he said.

KSINC has now entered the spectacular avenue of water-linked tourism to

provide coastal backwater splendours of Kerala. The objective is to utilise the
vast potential of backwater tourism by embarking on various tourism related
activities linking resourceful waterways. Sagara Rani, the first vessel launched by
the corporation a year ago, has proved to be a success with full bookings in the
season. It is the only cruise vessel in Kochi taking guests beyond the port limits
into the sea to experience the thrill of sea journey as well as the beauty of
sunset closer, Mr Satheesh said.

According to him, various firms have now started approaching KSINC to conduct
backwater cruise. Recently, it had received an enquiry from a private ship
broking firm to run a floating hotel in the sea.

The floating hotel with a capacity to accommodate 220 passengers will be

deployed in the sea. However, the corporation has not taken any decision in this
regard, he said.

4
`Kerala backwaters best in the world'
Our Bureau

Kochi , Oct. 1

THE Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club has chosen the backwaters of Kerala
as the best backwaters in the world.

The club has also conferred club membership for Kerala Tourism and has given
the authorisation to use the distinction on all documents promoting backwaters
in the State.

Mr Guy Rousset, President, and Mr Bruno Bodard, Secretary of the Club,

announced this at the ongoing Kerala Travel Mart 2004 being held at Le Meridien
International Convention Centre, Kochi.

The Most Beautiful Bays in the World Club, based in France, was established in
March 1997 in Berlin (Germany) with the intention of promoting and preserving
heritage all over the world. The main aim of the association is to promote these
exceptional bays by sharing mutual problems and encouraging respective
population to recognise the immense value and universal dimension of their
heritage.
Kerala is blessed with a 900-km backwater network and in recent years had
become a major international tourist attraction.

Backwaters are spread out mainly in four districts - Kottayam, Kochi, Alapuzha
and Kollam. The largest backwater body, the Vembanad Lake spreads through
Alapuzha and Kottayam districts.

Among the tourist destinations that have been featured in the Most Beautiful
Bays in the World Club include Diego Suarez Bay, Madagascar, Stockholm Bay,
Sweden, Cape Cod Bay, USA, Todos Santos Bay, Brazil among others.