Steps to promote beach tourism

KOVALAM: The government will give priority to develop beach destinations as part of promoting beach tourism, Minister for Tourism Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said.

Inaugurating an artificial submerged reef and a walkway constructed under the tsunami rehabilitation project at the beach resort on Wednesday, the Minister said the State had not understood the importance of beach tourism and had not given priority for developing it.

He said tourism industry had great potential to generate employment and revenue. The government had sanctioned several tourism projects as part of efforts to attract tourists to the State.

The reef was installed at a cost of Rs.7.87 crore and the walkway, Rs. 2.65 crore.

Mr. Balakrishnan said the beach resort was facing lot of problems as it was not a planned destination like Bekal. �The government will soon convene a meeting to address the lack of infrastructure and solve the problems being faced at Kovalam.