KOCHI: After witnessing an encouraging income during the peak tourism season in the past few months, traders in the West Kochi tourism zone are worried about the sudden fall in tourist arrivals. Before the monsoon hit Kerala, tourism destinations like Fort Kochi, Mattancherry and Kumbalangi were packed with tourists. However, they now wear a deserted look. It was with the aim of attracting more people during the monsoon season that the Tourism Department floated the ‘Dream Season’ campaign, Suresh, Deputy Director, Marketing, Tourism Department, said. The tourism sector had resolved to offer tourists various facilities at budget rates, he said.The heavy rush of foreign tourists had begun to wean by February. But this was substituted by domestic tourists, mainly from Tamil Nadu where rising temperature forced vacationers to select Kerala as their destination.After the summer vacation ended, the inflow of domestic tourists too got hit.The off-season has affected both higher and lower-end traders alike.Starting from five-star hotels, home-stays and tour operators, hawkers, vendors, petty shop-owners and autorickshaw drivers are among the worst sufferers.Ice cream seller Biju said he had stopped going to the beach to sell ice creams due to the absence of tourists. Due to the drop in tourist footfalls, film-shooting was in progress at Fort Kochi. Finding nothing else to do, he is now jobless. Tender coconut seller Gaffoor said his sales too had dipped. Now, he is able to sell only 30 to 40 coconuts a day. This too is possible only because he keeps his shop open from about 10.30 am to 7 pm.But fisherman Ashraf said he had managed to find a job helping other fishermen handling Chinese fish nets. He said though the income was less, at least he was employed.
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