Move to exempt tourism from strike

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Thiruvananthapuram, June 20 : Kerala Home and Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan today said the government would take initiative to exempt the tourism sector from general strikes and hartals.

Replying to questions by Mr A M Arif (CPI-M), he told the State Assembly that a decision in this regard would be taken by evolving a consensus after talks with the Opposition parties.

As many tourists are visiting the state under package tourism, the government had to compensate their days, which they miss during hartals and strikes, he said.

However, Mr Balakrishnan clarified that the tourism sector could not be exempted outrightly from the purview of strikes as in in the case of milk supply, newspaper distribution and other essential services. Some tourists were visiting the state to witness strikes also, he added.

The Tourism Department was implementing various projects to attract foreign tourists to the state. Besides developing basic facilities and reconstituting District Tourist Promotion Councils, it had also introduced the state's tourist potentials to the world by attending various tourism festivals, road shows and seminars with major investors in the sector, he said.

The government would also encourage eco-tourism without affecting the nature and environment, he said and warned of severe action against those encroach upon coastal areas in the name of tourism.

The government would also promote farm tourism, plantation tourism, adventure tourism, monsoon toursm and medical tourism.

Mr Balakrishnan said the expected revenue through tourism in 2006 was Rs 9,000 crore, which was Rs 1,262 crore more than the previous year, an increase of 16 per cent.

UNI

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