LATEST NEWS : TOURISM STAKEHOLDERS’ MEETING HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH LIQUOR POLICY, SAYS KERALA TOURISM DIRECTOR

TTT NEWS NETWORK

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 27 MAY 2024 :

Kerala Tourism Director Smt Sikha Surendran IAS has refuted misleading media reports about the 21  2024  meeting of the tourism stakeholders.

It was one of the regular meetings convened by the Tourism Directorate attended by industry groupings of resorts, hotels, houseboats, event management groups, all of which play a significant role in developing the tourism sector.

The meeting was not convened on the directions of the Tourism Minister.

The participants were the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) Society, Event Management Association, Houseboat Association, Federation of Kerala Hotels Association, South Kerala Hotels Federation, Association of Approved and Classified Hotels and Kerala Tourism Development Association.

“The Directorate of Tourism convenes such regular meetings of stakeholders to discuss various demands put forward by organisations in this sector,” Smt Surendran said in a statement on Sunday.

“The details of those who participated in the meeting make it very clear that this is not a special meeting of bar owners or related to the government’s liquor policy, as is now being made out to be.”

She said these collectives raised issues related to the obstacles they face in promoting Kerala as a wedding and MICE tourism destination and the problems faced the industry in general.

The Directorate of Tourism has not conveyed any recommendations, opinions, or decisions on these issues to the Government.

Regular meetings are held at the department level to study the issues in the sector. Such meetings are usually held at the official level. Thus, only a stakeholder meeting was held on May 21, and one of the issues raised by various organisations was briefly mentioned in meeting notice circulated.

There is no basis for the allegation that the tourism department was encroaching on the functions of other departments.

Organisations in the tourism industry have been raising these issues for a long time. However, neither any decisions have been taken in the meeting nor have any reports or recommendations been sent to the government in this regard.

The Directorate of Tourism has nothing to do with the news circulating regarding the liquor policy or the remarks made by certain people.