Kerala hopes good tourist flow

New Delhi, Oct 18: With the tourism season all set to roll, the Kerala Tourism today asserted that Chickungunya scare would not affect the flow of tourists to the God's Own Country.

''The visitors to the state are highly unlikely to be affected by the virus causing Chickungunya and there are no special travel considerations to bear in mind when travelling to Kerala,'' Kerala Tourism Principal Secretary E K Bharat Bhushan told UNI here today.

''Life in the state continues to be normal for the residents and visitors alike,'' he said Mr Bhushan said regular surveillance had been taken up in all the districts of the state. "We have ensured that all the resort owners have taken extra measures to keep the surroundings clean and devoid of mosquitoes.

''The synergy between the trade and the government has seen to it that tourism is not affected in any way. Correct and periodic dissemination of information on the situation to the travel and tourism trade all over the world have made the tourists realise there is no cause for worry and travel schedules need not be relooked,'' according to Mr Jose Dominic, Managing Director of the CgH earth group of hotels.

Meanwhile, Kerala Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, in a statement, released here today, said the state looked forward to the best ever season.

''Contradictory to initial apprehensions on the Chickungunya scare affecting the tourism season in Kerala, timely intervention by the government and the health department has brought the situation well under control,'' Mr Balakrishnan said.

In another statement here, Dr T K Kuttamani, Director of Health Services in Kerala, said Chickungunya was not an epidemic. it has been more or less eradicated in the state through the mobilisation of people to clear mosquito breeding sites, targeted spraying of insecticides and additional cleanliness measures.

He said the government, along with the National Vector-borne Diseases Control Programme has been successfully implementing the ten-day micro action plan to contain chickungunya outbreak which affected a few parts of Kerala.

UNI