Kerala will begin vaccinating tourism workers in Wayanad in the first phase.

Kerala announced on Wednesday that people working in prime tourism spots will be completely vaccinated before the spots are opened to tourists, in an effort to bolster the beleaguered tourism sector, said State Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas.

Riyas told the media here that the first step will be taken in Wayanad tourism spots Vythiri and Meppadi. Rahul Gandhi, the former Congress president, represents Wayanad in the Lok Sabha.

“Other tourism spots like Kochi, Alappuzha, Kovalam, Thekkadi, and Varkala will be covered in the second phase, and once that’s done, those spots will also be opened up,” said Riyas.

State Health Minister Veena George, who was also present at the press conference, stated that she expects the full vaccination to be completed in a week at the two locations in Wayanad district.

In addition to tourists from Kerala, Wayanad attracts visitors from the neighbouring states of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.

The Kerala tourism industry, which brought in more than Rs 45,000 crore and contributed around 12% to the state GDP in 2019, is suffering heavy losses as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The industry is requesting that the state government devise plans to revitalise the tourism industry.