Tourists allege houseboats defy guidelines: What irks them?

Houseboats are one of the major attractions of Kerala's backwater tourism. They allow tourists to enjoy the scintillating beauty of the lake while exploring the picturesque countryside along its banks. However, tourists have been calling out houseboats that operate without proper licenses, offer poor service, or fail to follow safety guidelines lately. 

Most people complain that the houseboats that welcome them at the jetty hardly have the facilities or the cleanliness promised at the time of booking. Some tourists are even alleged to have cancelled rides after seeing the houseboat's pathetic condition. Now, the tourism industry is facing a backlash after tourists began exposing the situation on social media. 

The mighty Vembanad Lake can accommodate up to 500 boats, including houseboats, motorboats, and other boats. However, according to the data published by the inland navigation department, more than 1,300 houseboats were found operating services. 

Major complaints
•Unhygienic houseboats with unclean seats, bedrooms and dirty bathrooms
•Stale food or food prepared in unhygienic conditions
•Some houseboats use water that is directly drawn from the lake
•Employees with no proper training or licenses
•Failure to provide the food and other facilities that were promised when the houseboat was booked
•Providing another houseboat with minimal facilities instead of the one shown on the website
•After the guests who have spent the night in the houseboat leave at 10 am, the next hour is reserved for cleaning. But, this doesn’t happen most of the times
•Lack of safety. Reports of fire accidents and houseboat sinkings are being reported. 

Mandatory certificates for houseboats
•Registration with a validity for up to five years
•Survey certificate that is valid for up to a year
•Insurance certificate
•Certificate issued by the pollution control board
•Fire and safety certificate

Safety features required
•Life jackets (as per the number of passengers)
•Lifebuoy (as per the number of passengers)
•Phone numbers ofthe  police, the fire force and the ambulance
Employees
Driver, operator and lascar (all with licenses)

No guidelines
The websites often list houseboats under premium, deluxe and AC categories. There are no clear guidelines on the facilities that must be offered in each category. The owners describe their houseboats as they like. Two boats in the same category may even have different facilities or quality of service.