The coronavirus pandemic has been a major blow to the hotel industry worldwide. Ever since the nationwide lockdown, most of the hotels in India had been with almost zero income for a period of nearly five months. Now, as part of ‘Unlock 3’ some hotels outside the containment zones have finally opened up. However, recovering the losses faced during the last few months of lockdown is still challenging for these properties. Therefore, Aveda Kumarakom, a luxury resort in Kerala has come up with a smart idea. It has converted its 500-feet pool into a pearl spot fish farm to make the business stay afloat amid the crisis.
Resort Near Kerala’s Vembanad Lake Raises Pearl Spot Fishes To Recover Pandemic Losses
Aveda Kumarakom, about 20 kilometres away from Kerala’s Vembanad Lake used to receive a good number of foreign tourists prior to the pandemic. It has a 500-feet long outdoor swimming pool, along with a spa and a games room. The hotel had to shut its doors in March, after the announcement of the lockdown. Now, they use the 7.5 million litres of water to use by turning the swimming pool into a fish pond. A jeweller in Rajasthan had also started selling vegetables to make ends meet during the lockdown.
Pearl spot fishes take around eight months to grow in full size. They are a popular ingredient in South Indian and the Middle East dishes.
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Four Tonnes Of Pearl Spot Fishes Might Cost Around ₹2,97,6502 In The Market
As per AFP reports, Jyotish Surendran, Aveda’s general manager, said, “We have had zero revenues, so in June, we put around 16,000 two-month-old pearl spot fish in the pool.” He added, “We plan to harvest by November and will export to the Middle East.” According to Surendran’s predictions, around four tonnes of pearl spot fishes thriving in the pool could cost ₹2,97, 6502 in the market.
In Surendran’s words, the ‘makeshift firm’ might not cover the overall losses of the pandemic, but it will help in fulfilling the basic bills to facilitate business until tourism resumes in full throttle. On that note, here are some simple ways in which you can help recover the Indian tourism industry: