Possible cancellation of trips and customers staying away from fruit stalls have left tour operators and vendors in a quandary.
Published Jul 24, 2024 | 9:00 AM ⚊ Updated Jul 24, 2024 | 9:00 AM
According to data from the Kerala Tourism Department, the state saw a decline of approximately 20-30% in tourist arrivals during the Nipah outbreak months
Fruit vendors and tour operators in Kerala’s Malabar region are worried even as the state is pulling all stops to prevent another outbreak of Nipah.
The death of a 14-year-old boy of the dreaded Nipah virus has once again threatened businesses. The boy from Pandikkad in Malappuram died of a cardiac arrest while undergoing treatment at the Medical College Hospital in Kozhikode on Sunday, 21 July.
The virus, when affected Kerala — and South India — for the first time in 2018, had claimed at least 17 lives. Spread through fruit bats, also known as flying foxes, the virus was transmitted to humans who consumed fruits contaminated by the mammal’s saliva.
The Nipah outbreak in 2018 led to a significant decline in tourism. The tourism sector experienced a sharp drop in the number of visitors, both domestic and international.
According to the Kerala Tourism Department data, the state saw a decline of approximately 20-30 percent in tourist arrivals during the peak outbreak months (May to July) in 2018.
The tourism industry faced an estimated revenue loss of about ₹2,500 crore during the period.
The second Nipah outbreak in 2019 also had adverse effects on tourism, though the impact was somewhat less severe compared to 2018.
The decline in tourist arrivals was less pronounced but still significant. Reports indicated a drop of around 15-20 percent in the months following the outbreak. The industry faced a decrease in revenue, though it was not as high as in 2018.
After the boy had tested positive for the Nipah virus (NiV), the state clamped restrictions on a three-kilometer radius of Pandikkad and Anakkayam in Malappuram. However, the repercussions of Nipah are being felt across the district.
Rumour mongers on social media went on an overdrive, churning out “expert” opinions without any scientific basis, spreading panic. Though zoonotic NiV is mostly spread through the consumption of contaminated fruits, fly-by-night “experts” imposed a “ban” on all drupes, leaving fruit vendors in a quandary.
“These fake messages on social media have caused us more harm,” Ajfal Thaha, the proprietor of CP Fruits at Palavam in Kozhikode, told South First.
“Ours is the first business to suffer during each Nipah outbreak. People wrongly link Nipah with all fruits.
They are not aware that most fruits sold here come from other states such as Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Himachal Pradesh, and not from local sources.” he said.
In 2018, the sale of fruits plummeted by at least 60 percent, as customers viewed them as a potential source of the Nipah virus. Rambutan, guava, and dragon fruit-growing small-scale farmers, too, suffered.
Thaha said that on Monday, 22 July, the fruit markets felt the heat of Nipah. “We get fresh stocks on Mondays, and the business is usually brisk. However, we are left with unsold items,” he added.
Being perishable, the merchants cannot hope to hold their wares till the situation improves.
“We have to pay the farmers and wholesalers in other states daily, as there is no credit system. In our shop, fruits like custard apples and mangoes remained unsold on the first day itself. When the retail market is affected, the wholesale market also suffers,” Thaha said.
“We will know the full extent of the impact within a few days. In previous years, we have faced huge losses as well. Where should we raise a complaint? The sad part is that no one, not even the government, acknowledges our sacrifices during the days of Nipah,” he added.
In 2018, K Joy, who cultivates exotic fruits at Kavilumpara in Kozhikode, wrote to the chief minister, and the district collector for financial assistance to farmers. However, farmers had to bear the loss in silence.
Muhammed Ameer of Green Oasis Tours in Malappuram said each outbreak has a domino effect on the tourism sector.
“Though the restrictions are limited to just one or two panchayats, the news spreads all over the world. International tourists research their destination before embarking on the trip. As a result, they cancel their trips after such virus outbreaks,” he said.
According to the state Planning Board’s Economic Review, 2016, the total revenue (both direct and indirect) from tourism was ₹26,689.63 crore, a year-on-year increase of 7.25 percent in 2015.
“Airlines like Aeroflot don’t have a refund policy. If we cancel trips, the customers will have to bear the loss. This will create a negative impact. The sad part is that Nipah outbreaks are occurring almost every year now, leaving us with little time to recuperate from the losses,” Ameer said.
Jalaludeen Ahammed, a member of the Malappuram Chamber of Commerce, is keeping his fingers crossed.
“Restrictions are now in place for merchants in Pandikkadu and Anakkayam. They are allowed to operate only between 10 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. The Chamber has not released any guidelines, as the restrictions currently apply only to these two panchayats. We do not know if the restrictions will be extended to other areas or last for a prolonged period,” he shared his apprehensions with South First.
He also recalled the mandatory Nipah-free certificates for exported and imported goods.
“In 2018, Karipur and Kannur airport authorities did not issue the certificate initially. It was issued only in Kochi. This led to a significant number of complaints,” he said.
“We took the issue to the government’s attention, and Nipah-free certificates were subsequently reinstated at Kannur. Transporting cargo from Kochi to Malabar at that time would have resulted in a substantial loss for the merchants,” he added.
(Edited by Majnu Babu).
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