The depreciating rupee is expected to boost foreign arrivals to Kerala.
The latest report published by The Independent last week said, “We have been punished by our puny pound for too long – the euro and dollar making it increasingly expensive for us to travel. But pity the poor rupee, which fell to an all-time low this week. Still, it does mean that you can now buy about 99 of them for £1, compared to nearly 80 just a year ago. That makes travelling to India an even more enticing prospect. So, where to spend it? Kerala is a dreamy destination at any time”.
The campaign comes in the context of the plunging rupee in comparison to the US dollar which has adversely affected the tourist outflow to foreign countries, especially Europe, USA and South Asian countries.
According to houseboat owners in Alappuzha, they have seen a 10% to 15% increase in foreign bookings following the fall of the rupee.
The General Secretary of Kerala Houseboat Owners Association (KHOA), N. Sreekumar told the Deccan Chronicle that this season was expected to be a great fillip for the industry not only because of the rupee fall but also the Tourist Visa on arrival (T-VoA) introduced on Independence Day at both Thiruvananthapuram and Nedumbassery international airports.
Explaining further, N.Sreekumar said, “The media report would help change the decision of people who are looking for trips to European destinations. There was a phenomenon that many tourists were skipping India and going to other destinations due to stringent visa conditions and increasing expenditure in Indian tourism destinations. The rupee fall may help to sort out this issue”, he said.
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