Alappuzha, A decade after an innovative entrepreneur at Alumkadavu in Kollam district converted a traditional boat used for transporting goods ('kettu vallam') to a houseboat with facilities for the stay of tourists, the industry has come of age.
From two boats in the early Nineties, the number of houseboats has now gone up to about 200.Meanwhile,the small single - room houseboat has been replaced by large houseboats with several rooms. Many of the present houseboats are air - conditioned . In no time, Alappuzha has emerged as a hub of the house boat industry with a majority of them operating from here.
Recounting the growth of the industry, the Houseboat Owners Association secretary, Tomy Pulikkattil, says it is only natural that Alappuzha has become the nerve center of the industry because of the potential of the Vembanad lake and canals of Kuttanad as venues for boating.
"At first, traditional boats used to be converted into houseboats, but now very big ones are specially built as houseboats", Mr. Tomy says. While most of the houseboats of the initial days used to be poled, the present ones are fitted with engines. The earlier outboard engines have been replaced with inboard engines which use diesel as fuel.
Mr. Tomy says that the concept of rooms of houseboats has undergone a revolutionary change over the last few years. The small dingy rooms have been replaced by spacious air-conditioned rooms which could match the comforts of a hotel room. Some of the houseboats operating from Alappuzha have even five
bedrooms. The latest innovation in the industry is a very big houseboat with a conference hall having a seating capacity of 150 and several bedrooms. The boat will be launched soon.
According to Mr. Tomy, the industry provides direct employment to around 500 persons now. "The number of persons being provided indirect employment is more than 2,000".
He says that more than new 10 houseboats are launched every year. During the season, which extends from December to March , the number of tourists exceeds 500.The number is around 100 during off-season.
Earlier a majority of the people who hired boats were foreign tourists, but now tourists from North India exceed them. The number of Keralites who hire houseboats has steeply increased of late.
The Tourism Department has introduced ratings for houseboats last year based on the facilities offered. According to the association, around 25 houseboats have been awarded 'golden star', the highest grading. And efforts are on to raise the standards of more houseboats. |
