Online Licence for Tourism Enterprises Soon: Minister Rajeeve

KOCHI:
A proposal to introduce online facility for processing the applications for tourism enterprises is under active consideration of the government, Industries Minister P Rajeeve said here today.

The Minister’s announcement came at the sectoral meeting of Tourism and Hospitality convened by Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) as a build-up to the Invest Kerala Global Summit, to be held here in February.

Inaugurating the meet, Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas had pitched for a single-window system for issuing different permits for tourism enterprises.

Authorities have initiated “intensive efforts” to start innovative initiatives in the field of travel and hospitality, Riyas revealed.

As for an online system for licensing of tourism enterprises, Rajeeve said the facility will be launched soon, enabling ventures to link even with the existing portals for approval by panchayats.

Riyas highlighted the need for a single-window system to sanction various permits for tourism enterprises, like the case with other industries. “At present, there is a liaison system at the Department of Tourism. It should be stabilized and brought under a single-window system,” he told the delegates in the run-up to ‘Invest Kerala Global Investment Summit’ at Kochi from February 21-22, 2025.

Recalling that Kerala had recently held a special meeting solely for investment in the tourism sector, Riyas said the department has come up with an Investment Desk that is engaged in the evaluation of its further activities. “Linking it with the industry’s single-window system will be of great benefit,” he added.

Noting that the government had decided to start an incubator for start-ups in the tourism sector, the Minister informed that a unified system for this purpose will be ready soon.

Minister Rajeev, while noting that tourism held the highest investment potential among all sectors in Kerala, said the travel and hospitality industry had the capacity to generate “maximum employment with minimum investment”. Calling upon entrepreneurs to develop novel ideas and products in the tourism sector, he assured “all support” from the government on this front.

Industry and Commerce Principal Secretary A.P.M. Mohammed Hanish made a special presentation on the New Industrial Policy as well as the upcoming Global Investment Summit.

Others present included KSIDC Chairman C. Balagopal, Managing Director S. Harikishore, Kerala Tourism Director Sikha Surendran and KSIDC Executive Director Hari Krishnan R, besides representatives of various tourism organizations.

The opening session was followed by a panel discussion on tourism and hospitality. Its participants emphasized the need for allied departments to be aware of the concessions and approval procedures provided by the Industries Department to entrepreneurs and enterprises.

New products have great potential in the tourism sector in the state, they added, pointing out that such revenue-raising projects require the support of all departments. The panel was led by Kerala Tourism Infrastructure Limited Managing Director Dr Manoj Kumar Kini, Concorde Exotic Voyages MD James Kodianthara, Spiceland Holidays MD Riyaz U.C., CGH Earth MD Jose Dominic, Kerala Tourism Co-operative Society President Sajeev Kurup and KTDC former MD Rahul R.