'Allow people to travel if both doses of vaccine are taken'

Kochi: James Kodianthara, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) Kerala chapter president MD, has urged the government to complete vaccination at the earliest and allow those who have taken two doses of the Covid vaccine to travel.

"Travellers from other states should also be allowed to come. The State should exert pressure on the central government to issue tourism visas to the foreign travellers,” he added.

James said that though the second lockdown was imposed in Kerala only in May this year, the tourism sector has been continuously in a lockdown since March 2020.

"Around 15 lakh people who are employed in this sector have been left in the lurch. With no other option left, some even took up selling biryani and fish. If no action is taken urgently, the decades of effort and money spent on Kerala tourism would be wasted away,” he explained.

He also pointed out that the banks are reluctant to offer loans to those in the tourism-hotel sector. And said that the government should direct to give loans urgently at the SLBC meet.

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