Kochi: The shortage of commercial cooking gas cylinders is pushing the state’s tourism and hotel sector into a major crisis, said the Kerala Travel Mart Society (KTM), making a strong case for the authorities to take immediate and impactful measures to deal with their hardship.
KTM President Jose Pradeep said the crisis in this sector, one of the largest contributors to the state’s revenue, will also have a direct impact on everyday life.
Pradeep stated that, in response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call and in line with the objectives of the Paris Agreement on Climate Change to limit carbon emissions across industries, KTM was the first in the state to take action.
The hospitality industry, including hotels, resorts, and five-star hotels, had already begun transitioning toward the use of green energy. Industry partners associated with KTM shifted to cooking gas, solar energy, and electric cooking equipment.
“The current crisis has emerged despite the sector largely complying with calls to limit the use of traditional smoke-emitting wood stoves,” he pointed out. Pradeep said that the cooking gas shortage could also negatively affect the state’s economy.
Thousands of workers are employed in this sector, and many hospitality establishments are currently facing the possibility of shutting down.
“With the tourism season expected to become active again after the March examinations, the sector could suffer major revenue losses”, he said.
KTM Secretary S Swaminathan said the tourism sector has always been among the first to cooperate in implementing reforms proposed by the Central and state governments. He noted that the state’s tourism revenue is currently at an all-time high and that the sector’s contribution to the state’s economy is significant.
This will also affect the destination weddings which were planned much earlier and also the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences, and Exhibitions (MICE) sector as well, he added.
Considering this, he appealed to the authorities to take immediate steps to ensure the availability of cooking gas cylinders for the tourism and hotel industry. He also pointed out that this is a time when online food orders have increased significantly.
“If hotels are forced to shut down, it would not only result in major job losses but could also leave many dependent groups, including students and people living alone who rely on these establishments for meals, without access to food,” he said.
