Kerala Tourism to start seaplane service next month

The seaplane project of Department of Tourism (DoT), Government of Kerala, which was showcased at the Emerging Kerala Global Connect event held in Kochi in September last year is all set to take off. The non-scheduled service operated by Bengaluru-based Kairali Aviation Pvt Ltd, will be inaugurated at Ashtamundi Lake, Kollam on June 2, 2013. The company currently has a Cessna 206 aircraft (five passenger capacity) and will operate flights from Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Calicut to Punnamada in Allappuzha district and Astamundi in Kollam district. Kairali Aviation is the first to commence the service among four operators that have registered with the Kerala government to start sea plane service. The sea plane project is aimed at providing swift and convenient last mile connectivity to various important tourist destinations in the state.

Commenting on the service, Suman Billa, Tourism Secretary, Government of Kerala said, “The product offers tremendous potential to boost tourism in Kerala. The service will provide a unique experience to travellers, both as a joy ride and as an effective mode of transport to distant destinations. For e.g. a tourist, who travels from London to Kerala to visit Munnar can reach the destination via a seaplane from Cochin Airport within 20 minutes instead of six hours by road.”

According to Col. (Retd) Sasikumar, Chairman and Managing Director, Kairali Aviation, the company will soon extend its services to Kumarakom and Bolgatty. He informed that a half hour flight is priced between Rs 4,000 to 5,000.

“While clients can currently book through the Kairali Aviation office, very soon we will launch a booking website for the service. We plan to work closely with the travel trade and are in touch with numerous travel agents and tour operators, both in India and abroad. We plan to add another aircraft (Dornier 228 with seating capacity of nine passengers) after the monsoon season and plan to have a fleet of three aircraft by year end,” stated Col. (Retd) Sasikumar.

Kerala Tourism Infrastructure Ltd. (KTIL) was assigned to coordinate the project and was appointed as the nodal agency. According to KTIL, The state government has provided the necessary infrastructure by setting up waterdromes with facilities like a floating jetty, passenger frisking, etc., to operate seaplane services, based on an open sky policy. The Detailed Project Report (DPR) was prepared by Pawan Hans Helicopters Limited, which is a Government of India undertaking. Security of the waterdromes is ensured by a specially-formed Airport Security Group (ASG), trained and certified by the Bureau of Civil Aviation Security (BCAS) of India, under the Kerala Police. Seaplane operations are limited to daytime and the project aims to connect 25 tourist destinations.

Riaz Ahmed, President, Kerala Travel Mart Society (KTMS) and Managing Director, Abad Group of Hotels, said, “Seaplanes are quite new in the Kerala tourism industry. The product gives value for money. It will definitely give a boost to tourism, and will help connect destinations such as Alleppey, and Kumarakom that houses the Vembanad Lake.”

Austin Varghese, Chairman Kerala Chapter, TAAI and Chief Executive, Austin International Travels, said, “It is good that seaplanes are being launched in Kerala. There are plans to offer pick-up services from Calicut, Thiruvananthapuram and Cochin airports to backwater destinations. The approximate cost will be Rs 6,000 per hour, which is not affordable by all classes of tourists. Thus, they should curtail the flying fees and make it economically viable for tourists. No special packages have been launched as yet for the travel trade."

E M Najeeb, Chairman Kerala Chapter, IATO and Chairman and Managing Director, Air Travel Enterprises (ATE) Group of Companies, said, “The seaplane is a new product in India itself. Kerala as a tourist destination is lucky to get all the required permission from authorities to unveil it. I would like to congratulate the state for taking this initiative and we will offer all the support. This will help tourists travel form one point to another quickly and offer last-mile connectivity to destinations. This will be a new experience for tourists."

Johny Abraham George, Chairman Kerala Chapter, ADTOI and Chairman & Managing Director, Intersight Tours and Travels Pvt Ltd, said, “This is a new product. The outcome is yet to be experienced. Though, it should save tourists time. For example, a tourist on an eight-day holiday in Kerala spends lot of time travelling. Seaplane services will help them save travel time. This is mainly suitable for high-end clients."

Jose Dominic, Joint Honorary Secretary, Federation of Hotel & Restaurant Associations of India (FHRAI) and Managing Director & CEO, CGH Earth, said, “This is a new product in the Indian tourism industry. It will help tourists reach far-flung areas of Kerala such as Munnar or Mattupetty, which is at a six-to-seven-hour distance from Cochin Airport. This kind of product is good for all states in India."

Paulose K Mathew, Chairman, TAFI Kerala Chapter and Managing Director, Coraz Travel & Trade Links Pvt Ltd, said, “With tranquil beaches, beautiful backwaters, lake sides, lush green forests, hill stations, exotic wildlife sanctuaries, mountains, and hill stations, Kerala is a very beautiful tourist destination. Seaplane services will help tourists explore every nook and corner of the state, especially backwater destinations like Alappuzha. In addition, it is a new product and will give a different experience to tourists. Seaplane services will definitely be successful in Kerala."

KTDC plans to attract tourists from Middle East, Russia with Age Halt Ayurveda programme

Buoyed by the growing popularity of its Age Halt programme that provides Ayurveda treatment on the go, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) is planning to woo tourists from the Middle East and Russia during the monsoon season this year. “Our Age Halt programme, launched last year, has sparked huge interest among tourists in India and abroad. It is a unique product that seamlessly combines Ayurvedic treatment and travel,” said N Prashant, Managing Director, KTDC.


The Age Halt programme provides Ayurveda packages through KTDC properties such as Samudra (Kovalam), Bolgatty Palace, Bolgatty Island Resort and Marina House (Kochi), Tea County (Munnar), Lake Palace and Aranya Nivas (Thekkady), and Periyar House, inside the Periyar Sanctuary, a release stated.

“A tourist may be confined to one location for 10-15 days while the Ayurvedic treatment is on, forcing him/her to forego the recreational aspect of travel. Age Halt is a combination of both recreation and treatment. A tourist who opts for a rejuvenation package at one place can move to other properties of KTDC without any interruption under continuous medical supervision,” Prashant said.

KTDC has tied up with Santhigiri Ashram at some of its properties for providing Ayurvedic therapy. The duration of the packages is up to 21 days and the tariff varies from Rs 1,900 to Rs 192,500. 

Currently, tourists majorly from Germany, Britain, Russia and France opt for the Age Halt programme, but KTDC is keen to enter the Gulf countries in a substantial manner. “We had organised special roadshows in the Gulf last year, and the Arabs are now coming to Kerala for the treatment of lifestyle diseases. They (Arabs) are tempted by the sight of rainfall. If we combine it with the Ayurvedic therapy, it will be a big opportunity for Kerala to leverage its traditional medicine system as a strong wellness quotient during the monsoon,” Prashant noted.

Rani George, Tourism Director, Kerala, said that Ayurveda, as a tourism product, has great prospects in the Middle East, Australia and Russia, besides the traditional markets in Germany. Kerala Tourism has already started a campaign, ‘Kerala - The Home of Ayurveda’, in the domestic as well as international markets.

Kerala is also pinning hopes on domestic tourists to sustain its Monsoon Tourism. “We can’t afford to ignore domestic tourists. Monsoons are a vacation time in the Northern states, and Kerala gives a relatively cheaper option to people from these states to avail of Ayurveda therapy while on the move,” said Prasanth, adding that KTDC would soon launch a monsoon package, including Ayurveda and indoor games. He also revealed that KTDC is setting up a drive-in beach resort at Muzhappilangad beach in Kannur district, which will be the largest in Asia.

Kerala recorded 7.9 lakh international tourist arrivals and one crore domestic tourist arrivals last year.