The Hindu Business Line : Job schemes for people living in tourism spots

The State Government is working out schemes to create jobs for people living in and around tourism destinations in the State, said the Kerala Tourism and Home Minister, Mr Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.

He made this remark at a function organised to mark the inauguration of a tourism facilitation complex, a beach park and the renovated Government guesthouse at Kovalam near Thiruvananthapuram on Friday evening.

Given the significant employment potential in the tourism sector, projects in the vicinity of tourism centres in Kerala can generate jobs for local people, he said. The proposed craft village at Vizhinjam near Thiruvanan- thapuram is one such initiative, he added.

ENCROACHMENT TO BE CURBED

Attempts to encroach onto government land under the guise of tourism development will be dealt with firmly, Mr Balakrishnan said.

If Kerala's tourism sector is to continue to grow, the State's natural beauty must be preserved, he added. Similarly, all stakeholders must work together to ensure that tourism destinations were kept clean, he added.

According to the Minister, the State Government is looking at the possibility of turning the Halcyon Castle in Kovalam into a heritage museum.

The Tourism Department is also working with the Public Works Department to improve the condition of the roads leading to tourism destinations, he added.

Facilities at the new tourist facilitation centre in Kovalam include an information counter, toilets and a parking area, while the beach garden will also have a helipad.

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