Caravan tourism could be the next big travel trend amid pandemic

Planning a vacation this holiday season but not sure about how to travel safe amid Omicron fear? In the pandemic era, caravan tourism is gaining popularity across the globe as it not only offers flexibility and freedom but also makes sure you are in a comfortable and safe travel bubble.

Benefits of travelling by caravan are many as one can cook their own meals while travelling, carry as much luggage as they want, and be in complete isolation.

In case you are looking to explore a domestic location this holiday season while keeping yourself safe amid virus scare, Kerala is the place to be. Kerala’s Caravan Tourism policy – Keravan Kerala promises visitors a customized and closest-to-nature travel experience.

“Going by Kerala’s inherent strengths of natural beauty and tourism-friendly culture, Caravan Tourism has immense scope for the state. Besides offering a refreshing experience for the tourists, local communities stand to gain substantially by enabling them to showcase their culture and products before the visitors,” says Mr VR Krishna Teja, Director, Tourism.

The policy envisages tourist caravans as safe, comfortable and fully compliant with local and state regulations, providing a homely feeling for the guests. It also entails development of Caravan Parks as private, public or joint ventures. A park, which needs at least 50 cents of land, should have space to accommodate five caravans at a time with facilities like food parks, rest rooms, activity area and drivers’ lodge.

The initiative also opens up the possibility of turning accessible but unexplored places in the state into alluring destinations. It is designed to make tourism a sustainable activity that would bring benefits to local communities and also scale up opportunities for the industry.

Abraham George, Managing Director of Intersight Tours and Travels, feels there will be a good demand for caravans as the recent trend shows that most of the tourists are coming as couples or families and they want to go to less crowded places.

“It will be a big hit with honeymooners because of the privacy and security offered by caravans,” he said.

“The introduction of caravan tourism at this juncture will give a much-needed fillip to tourism in the state which is yet to fully recover from the impact of the COVID pandemic,” said Riyaz UC, Managing Director, Spiceland Holidays.