TravTalk India Online Magazine
Caravan tourism is slated to be the next big thing for Kerala Tourism after houseboats in three decades. What’s more, the Caravan Tourism Policy also offers investment subsidy to attract operators and incentivise the purchase of caravans.
Kerala has announced a comprehensive, stakeholder-friendly Caravan Tourism Policy that will offer visitors a safe, customized and close-to-nature travel experience.This marks a paradigm shift in almost three decades after the state made it big with houseboat tourism that provided a unique experience to visitors and positioned the state as a major destination.
Like other successful tourism products of Kerala launched since 1990s, caravan tourism is also to be developed on PPP mode with private investors, tour operators and local communities being key stakeholders.The policy offers attractive investment subsidy to caravan operators. Details of the subsidy will be announced soon.
The policy will incentivise the purchase of caravans and for establishing caravan parks, chalking out the process and procedures for its operations and approvals. The project will be rolled out in the next few months. Dr Venu V, Additional Chief Secretary, Kerala Tourism, says, “Caravan tourism imparts an added thrust to the state’s inclusive approach of leveraging the tourism potential of the entire state by bringing to attention many an unexplored spot side-by-side the promotion of established destinations. Every unexplored destination can be made accessible with the roll out of this meticulously drawn up policy.”
The two major components of this activity are caravans and caravan parks. While the first involves specially-built vehicles for travel and stay, caravan parks are designated places to park the vehicles and enable the visitors to spend a night or a day or station for an extended period. There will be two types of caravans. In one model, two guests shall be accommodated, while the other is for a family of four members. The caravans will have the necessary facilities for a comfortable stay such as sofa-cum-bed, kitchenette with fridge and microwave oven, dining table, toilet cubicle, partition behind the driver, Air-conditioner, internet connectivity, audio-video facilities, charging system and GPS. Preferably Bharat Stage VI compliant vehicles will be pressed into service. Forthe safety of guests, there will be IT-enabled real-time monitoring of caravans.
A fool-proof mechanism is also put in place for according approval for the operation of caravans based on the procedures set by the State Motor Vehicles Department in accordance with the Central Motor Vehicles Rules.
A caravan park will be a completely safe and secure zone offering hassle-free and stress-free environment to tourists, protected with necessary features like compound wall, adequate security and safety arrangements, patrolling and surveillance cameras. The park authorities will maintain effective coordination with local authorities and medical establishments to attend to medical emergencies.Theparkswill have at least five parking bays and Tourist Facilitation Centres to inform the visitors of amenities and services available.
