REPORT NO. 200 PARLIAMENT OF INDIA RAJYA SABHA DEPARTMENT-RELATED PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT, TOURISM AND CULTURE TWO HUNDREDTH REPORT Development of Tourism, National Highways and Water Transport in Kerala and Cochin Shipyard Limited (Presented to the Rajya Sabha on 27th August, 2013) (Laid on the Table of Lok Sabha on 27th August, 2013) Rajya Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi August, 2013/Bhadrapada, 1935 (Saka) Website:http://rajyasabha.nic.in E-mail:[email protected] 59 Hindi version of this publication is also available PARLIAMENT OF INDIA RAJYA SABHA DEPARTMENT-RELATED PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT, TOURISM AND CULTURE TWO HUNDREDTH REPORT Development of Tourism, National Highways and Water Transport in Kerala and Cochin Shipyard Limited (Presented to the Rajya Sabha on 27th August, 2013) (Laid on the Table of Lok Sabha on 27th August, 2013) Rajya Sabha Secretariat, New Delhi August, 2013/Bhadrapada, 1935 (Saka) CONTENTS PAGES 1. COMPOSITION OF THE COMMITTEE ..................................................................................... (i)-(ii) 2. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................................... (iii) 3. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ..................................................................................................... (iv)-(v) 4. REPORT ................................................................................................................................ 1—34 5. OBSERVATIONS/CONCLUSIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS — AT A GLANCE ............................... 35—43 6. ANNEXURES (I&II) ............................................................................................................. 45—52 7. MINUTES .............................................................................................................................. 53—58 COMPOSITION OF THE DEPARTMENT-RELATED PARLIAMENTARY STANDING COMMITTEE ON TRANSPORT, TOURISM AND CULTURE (2012-13) 1. Shri Sitaram Yechury — Chairman RAJYA SABHA 2. Shri Satish Sharma 3. Prof. Alka Balram Kshatriya 4. Shri V. Hanumantha Rao 5. Shrimati Bimla Kashyap Sood 6. Shri Aayanur Manjunatha 7. Shri Narendra Kumar Kashyap 8. Shrimati Vasanthi Stanley 9. Shri Kunal Kumar Ghosh 10. Shri Shashi Bhusan Behera LOK SABHA 11. Shri Sisir Kumar Adhikari 12. Yogi Adityanath 13. Shri Ghanshyam Anuragi 14. Shri Subrata Bakshi 15. Shrimati Tabassum Hasan 16. Dr. Mahesh Joshi 17. Shri M. Krishnaswamy 18. Shri G.V. Harsha Kumar 19. Shri S. Pakkirappa 20. Shri Prabodh Panda 21. Shri Deoraj Singh Patel 22. Shri Adhalrao Shivaji Patil 23. Shri Nilesh N. Rane 24. Shri Modugula Venugopala Reddy 25. Shri Madan Lal Sharma 26. Shri Dushyant Singh 27. Shri Rakesh Singh 28. Shri Shatrughan Sinha 29. Shri K. Sudhakaran 30. Shri Dinesh Trivedi 31. Vacant (i) (ii) SECRETARIAT Shri N.K. Singh, Joint Secretary Shri Swarabji B., Joint Director Dr. (Shrimati) Subhashree Panigrahi, Joint Director Shrimati A.S. Chakravani, Assistant Director Shri T. Kennedy Jesudossan, Committee Officer Shri P.P. Raumon, Committee Officer INTRODUCTION I, the Chairman, Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture, do hereby present on its behalf this Two Hundredth Report on ‘Development of Tourism, National Highways and Water Transport in Kerala and Cochin Shipyard Limited’. 2. Kerala, with its uniqueness has become one of the major popular tourist destinations of the world. The tourism industry’s contribution to the state’s economy is also commendable. However, a need was evident to channalise Kerala’s tourism potential into a customized revenue harnessing source without disturbing natural environment and by enhancing the cultural integrity of local people. The Committee, in continuation to its special focus on promotion of Tourism in various regions of India, took up the study visit to a few of tourist destinations in Kerala i.e., Kochi, Munnar and Thekkady, between 24th to 31st May, 2013. The Committee made similar studies previously on North-East region and Jammu and Kashmir. 3. The Committee examined various issues such as Cruise, Wellness, Medical, Wildlife, Tea and Eco tourism of Kerala, Spice route and Muziris heritage projects, Rationalization of Inter-State tourist permits, Heavy taxation, Comprehensive waste management, National Highways issues, River tourism and linking of ports on NW3, IWT connectivity to ICTT. The Committee noted the difficulties in achieving these objectives viz., Non-availability of Visa-on arrival, Promoting of tourist destinations of Kerala nationally and internationally, Limited air connectivity, Maintenance and construction of national highways, Rail-road-waterway linkages, Maintenance dredging, etc. 4. The Committee also took up the study of Cochin Shipyard Limited and examined the challenges it is facing in Shipbuilding and Ship repair sectors. 5. The Committee expresses its gratitude to the officers of the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways, Ministry of Shipping, National Highways Authority of India, Inland Waterway Authority of India, Cochin Shipyard and Officers of State Government of Kerala, Tour-Travel and Hotelier Associations of the State and others for their cooperation in furnishing the required feedback and information in connection with the examination of the subject and also for making valuable suggestions for improving the tourism scenario in these States. 6. The Committee considered and adopted the Report in its meeting held on the 23rd August, 2013. SITARAM YECHURY NEW DELHI; Chairman, 23 August, 2013 Department-related Parliamentary 1 Bhadrapada, 1935 (Saka) Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture. (iii) LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AD Amphibian Dredger ASI Archaeological Survey of India AYUSH Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy BOT Build, Operate and Transfer BPCL Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited CAD Computer-aided Design CALA Central Authority of Land Acquisition CAM Computer-Aided Manufacturing CDs Compact Disks CFA Central Financial Assistance CIFNET Central Institute of Fisheries, Nautical and Engineering Training CISF Central Industrial Security Force CSEZ Cochin Special Economic Zone CSL Cochin Shipyard Limited DCI Dredging Corporation of India DPP Defence Procurement Policy DTVs Domestic Tourist Visits EDC Eco-Development Committees EXIM Export-Import FACT The Fertilizer and Chemicals Travancore Limited FAM Familiarization Tours FITUR International Tourism Trade Fair FSI Fisheries Survey of India FTVs Foreign Tourist Visits GRSE Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited GSI Geological Survey of India GSL Goa Shipyard Limited, Goa HPCL Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited HSL Hindustan Shipyard Limited OEM Original Equipment Manufacturers PAP Project Affected Persons PATA Pacific Asia Travel Association India Chapter PSU Public Sector Undertaking PTR Periyar Tiger Reserve (iv) (v) R&R Rehabilitation and Resettlement ROW Right of Way SALUs State Land Acquisition Units SCI Shipping Corporation of India TEUs Twenty Foot Equivalent Units TRIBON Naval Architecture Programme Originally Developed by Kockum Computer System TVOA Tourism Visa on Arrival UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization UNWTO United Nations World Tourism Organization USP Unique Selling Point VAT Value Added Tax VoA Visa-on-Arrival 1 REPORT CHAPTER-I TOURISM IN KERALA Kerala is slender strip of land in the southern tip of Indian subcontinent. Beautiful and benign, this Indian state lies along a sun drenched coastline flanked by the Arabian Sea on the West and mountains of the Western Ghats on the east. Sun blanched, white seashore, endless beaches, incessant blue waves mostly clam but sometimes boisterous clamouring and vanishing among white splashes, green groves of coconuts just stop short and border the beaches with frills. Lurking in the backdrop a network of lagoons and backwaters, boats and country crafts moving along, quite a lot of rivers and countless rivulets flowing through hills and paddy fields of the midland, emptying themselves into the backwater, cascading delicately down the hills to the golden coasts covered by verdant coconut and spice groves and thick forests and the far off dark blue mountains. This is what the eyes meet about Kerala. 2. With the Arabian Sea in the west, the Western Ghats towering 500-2700 m in the east and networked by 44 rivers, Kerala enjoys unique geographical features that have made it one of the most sought after tourist destinations in Asia. An equable climate, a long shoreline with serene beaches, tranquil stretches of emerald backwaters, lush hill stations and exotic wildlife, magnificent waterfalls, sprawling plantations and paddy fields, ayurvedic health holidays, enchanting art forms, magical festivals, historic and cultural monuments, an exotic cuisine... All of which offer a unique experience. Its unique culture and traditions, coupled with its varied demography, has made Kerala one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. The tourism industry is a major contributor to the state’s economy. The vital statistics of the State’s economy reveal that it has a GDP growth rate of 9%; the revenue generated from Tourism in 2012 is Rs. 20430 crore showing a growth of 7.32% over the previous year; Foreign Exchange Earnings in 2012– Rs. 4571.69 crore (growth of 8.28% over the previous year); Employs about 12 lakh persons, etc. 3. Due to its unique climatic conditions,