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Alappuzha : The Alappuzha District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) will introduce ''prepaid house boats scheme'' in this city of backwaters as part of their effort to protect foreign tourists from exploitation by unauthorised guides.
The decision was taken at a meeting of police, houseboat owners and operators association, hotel, home-stay and resort representatives, organised by the DTPC yesterday, following wide-spread complaints from foreign tourists about the exploitation by unauthorised guides.
''We have received a large number of complaints from tourists about the exploitation by fake guides, which prompted us to take such a decision,'' DTPC secretary M Pradeepkumar told UNI.
The meeting had also decided to make the rates for renting houseboats uniform. This would, however, depend on the facilities offered at the houseboats.
Hitherto, the operators had been charging unreasonably based on the demand for houseboats, he said and added the decision would help foreigners to get houseboats at subsidised rates and relief from the clutches of middlemen.
Mr Premkumar said the fake guides were charging high rates from foreign tourists and providing poor quality houseboats, making a huge profit for themselves. The prepaid centres to be set up at the Punnamada Finishing Point, would be run by the DTPC directly. Once houseboat operators decided on the rates depending on the facilities they offered, houseboats would be registered with the DTPC so that tourists could pay at a prepaid counter, he said and expressed the hope that once the system was put on service, it would help to end irrational bargaining which tourists had to engage in for many years.
Admitting that the new system would help houseboat owners as they would get tourists directly, House Boat Owners Association President Joshi Raj told UNI it would also help to attract more tourists because of lower rates.
He said while implementing the system, all boats would get sufficient booking as no guides could directly canvass the tourists. Once they find a tourist, he should lead him only to the prepaid counter and the official will decide the rate in advance. The guide could collect his share from the prepaid counter.
According to the new system, tourists who did not have a booking, should report to the prepaid counters. They would be allotted a houseboat on first come first served basis, Mr Premkumar said. The meeting had also decided to set up guide desks, controlled by special tourism police at vantage points in the district to help foreign tourists, he said.
He said a uniform rate had been fixed in accordance with three seasons, including off-season, season and peak season.
During the season from October 1 to October 30, the hike in the rent for house boats would be between 15 and 20 per cent. The hike during the peak season from December 15 to January 30 would be up to 30 per cent. The off-season would be from April 1 to September 30, he said.
The rent for one day for a house boat will range from Rs 4000 to Rs 11,000, based on the facilities like onebed-room to three bedrooms, he said.
Disclosing that the there were no official guides in the Alappuzha, he said police had information that more than 50 guides were working illegally and exploiting tourists.
--UNI
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''We have received a large number of complaints from tourists about the exploitation by fake guides, which prompted us to take such a decision,'' DTPC secretary M Pradeepkumar told UNI.
The meeting had also decided to make the rates for renting houseboats uniform. This would, however, depend on the facilities offered at the houseboats.
Hitherto, the operators had been charging unreasonably based on the demand for houseboats, he said and added the decision would help foreigners to get houseboats at subsidised rates and relief from the clutches of middlemen.
Mr Premkumar said the fake guides were charging high rates from foreign tourists and providing poor quality houseboats, making a huge profit for themselves. The prepaid centres to be set up at the Punnamada Finishing Point, would be run by the DTPC directly. Once houseboat operators decided on the rates depending on the facilities they offered, houseboats would be registered with the DTPC so that tourists could pay at a prepaid counter, he said and expressed the hope that once the system was put on service, it would help to end irrational bargaining which tourists had to engage in for many years.
Admitting that the new system would help houseboat owners as they would get tourists directly, House Boat Owners Association President Joshi Raj told UNI it would also help to attract more tourists because of lower rates.
He said while implementing the system, all boats would get sufficient booking as no guides could directly canvass the tourists. Once they find a tourist, he should lead him only to the prepaid counter and the official will decide the rate in advance. The guide could collect his share from the prepaid counter.
According to the new system, tourists who did not have a booking, should report to the prepaid counters. They would be allotted a houseboat on first come first served basis, Mr Premkumar said. The meeting had also decided to set up guide desks, controlled by special tourism police at vantage points in the district to help foreign tourists, he said.
He said a uniform rate had been fixed in accordance with three seasons, including off-season, season and peak season.
During the season from October 1 to October 30, the hike in the rent for house boats would be between 15 and 20 per cent. The hike during the peak season from December 15 to January 30 would be up to 30 per cent. The off-season would be from April 1 to September 30, he said.
The rent for one day for a house boat will range from Rs 4000 to Rs 11,000, based on the facilities like onebed-room to three bedrooms, he said.
Disclosing that the there were no official guides in the Alappuzha, he said police had information that more than 50 guides were working illegally and exploiting tourists.
--UNI
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