Experience of Tourism

Question: Discuss about the Experience of Tourism. Answer: An amazing experience on Vembanad Lake, one of the worlds largest inland lakes A houseboat sojourn on Vembanad Lake is an out of the world experience. Located in Kumarakom in the Kottayam District of Kerala, the lake is nestled amidst the bounties of nature. After landing at the Cochin International Airport, the drive down to Kottayam was a surreal prelude to the main experience. Upon reaching Kottayam, I found a nice cozy resort in the picturesque Kumarakom Tourist Village. On offer were exhilarating boat trips through the network of canals (Sharath (2016)). Teeming with activity, the waterways are a mode of transport for the local populace. Beautiful homes dot the water banks. It was a revelation to see young children dive into the waters fearlessly and splash at each other in pure mirth and merry. For a moment, this place brought nostalgic memories. The child within me wanted to play again in these waters. But before that, the gigantic ecosystem of the Vembanad was beckoning me. Setting sail in the morning on a beautifully decked houseboat, the feeling was pure bliss. A special native breakfast was sumptuous and satiated me; but already my heart and soul were satiated to the brim on being in this natures backyard. Santhosh (2013) As the boat cut through the waters, it felt that the boat was the musical instrument for the chiming waters. Surrounded by the vast expansiveness of the water, it felt I was in the middle of the ocean (Trip Advisor (n.d.)). Cool winds assailed me. Beautiful birds were perched on mid-lake tree barks. The shore around the lake was abounding with flora and fauna. Alas, at the end of the trip, I felt like staying back. But I reminded myself, theres always a next time! The houseboat business has for long struggled due to high attrition rates. The houseboat touristic sojourn is Keralas trump leisure product attracting visitors from around the world. But frequent clashes between employees and employers of houseboats businesses have resulted in the closing down of many businesses. Houseboat businesses are not able to provide affordable rates because of the cost of ownership of the business. Existing business owners are looking for other avenues because of unrealistic wage hikes demanded by employees of houseboat tour operators. The only solution for this problem is to seek the governments backing to funnel funds into this sector. It will help businesses sustain their business without raising rates. The result of such an approach is a higher visitor density from within and outside the country. While volumes increase, a break-even is inevitable. From then, the business flourishes and so does the sector. References: Excellent houseboat trip in Kerala backwaters, Vembanad. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.tripadvisor.in/ShowUserReviews-g2282687-d320392-r102862687-Punnamada_Lake-Kuttanad_Kerala.html Sharath, L. (2016, July 14). Drifting Along Vembanad. Retrieved from https://www.india.com/travel/articles/drifting-along-on-vembanad/ Santosh. (2013, January 21). Watching Life Unfold on Lake Vembanad. Retrieved from https://sukshma.net/tag/lake-vembanad/ Houseboat business struggles to stay afloat. (2012 June 23). Retrieved from https://www.ndtv.com/south/houseboat-business-struggles-to-stay-afloat-489573