The massive fire in Brahmapuram in the immediate suburbs of Kochi and toxic smog in the city and its suburbs came at a time when foreign tourists resumed their arrival in Kerala after the pandemic. A foreign couple in front of Subhash Bose Park in Kochi. , Photo Credit: H. Vibhu
The massive fire that raged in Brahmapuram for more than a week and the resulting toxic smoke engulfed most parts of Ernakulam district could tarnish Kerala’s image as one of the world’s tourist destinations.
Earlier this year, a new York Times The report listed the state as one of the 52 places to visit in 2023, while Time magazine featured it as one of the 50 extraordinary places to visit in 2022. Also, travel guide publisher lonely Planet In 2019, Kochi was listed among the top cities to visit in 2020.
According to tourism stakeholders, the state was waiting to reap dividends after the pandemic when a fire broke out at a garbage dumping yard, which was already in news for wrong reasons. This is especially true as Kochi is regarded as the tourist gateway to Kerala, and the sector earned the state an average of around ₹40,000 crore per year until the pandemic hit.
Several hotels and other accommodation units in Kochi have already reported cancellation of bookings for the month due to the deteriorating air quality, though the figures are not alarming as on date. Most tourists opt to visit Munnar, Thekkady and Wayanad instead. The concern over air quality comes at a time when Kochi is hosting the fifth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), and Kumarakom in neighboring Kottayam district is set to host 200 G-20 delegates from the end of the month.
A senior official from the regional office of India Tourism here spoke about the need for confidence building measures to minimize the damage to Kerala’s image as a popular responsible tourism destination. “After all scientific waste treatment is at the core of responsible tourism.”
In the wake of the massive fire in Brahmapuram, some scared foreign and domestic tourists flocked to the office in Fort Kochi, seeking clarification whether any official statement from the government to tourists – most of whom had come to visit the KMB – was required. But transfer out of Kochi. “It was sadly lacking. It would have been ideal if steps had been taken to make them feel at home here through proper and timely communication.
Besides health hazards, the long-term consequences of the fires include damage to the iconic backwaters of Kochi and central Kerala, said Murali Menon, a doctorate holder in tourism management and former director of Hydral Tourism. Action plan in India’s first model tourism village Kumbalangi. “It is a shame that Kochi does not have a proper waste treatment plant, resulting in large amounts of plastic, toilet and other waste being dumped into the backwaters. Kerala Tourism must take steps to ensure that the fire does not subside in the coming tourist season Do not affect tourist arrivals in the U.S., especially as it received widespread media coverage due to the dismal air quality.