Kerala Travel Mart Society Welcomes Relaxations in Liquor Policy

KOCHI:
The Kerala Travel Mart Society welcomed the Cabinet-approved liquor policy that also permits conditions-bound serving of liquor on dry days observed on the first day of every month, noting that the decision will strengthen the Tourism Department’s renewed initiatives around MICE-destination wedding.

KTM Society President Jose Pradeep, while recalling that a relaxation in the liquor policy has been a long-standing demand of the quarter-century-old organisation, said “impracticalities” in the execution of certain clauses had been a major constraint for MICE tourism that has “great potential” in Kerala. MICE, which is the acronym for meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibition, focuses on organising and attending professional events, including conclaves and trade shows, thus boosts tourism by bringing in people/delegates from various parts of the world.

“The last KTM conclave (in September 2024) saw experts stressing the need to boost MICE tourism in the state. They had opined that relaxation in the liquor policy was a key factor for its smooth execution,” Pradeep pointed out.

The 2025-26 liquor policy gives permission to hotels of above three-star category to serve liquor on dry days with a one-day permit.

KTM Secretary S Swaminathan said, along with MICE tourism, a key emphasis in the previous KTM in Kochi was cruise tourism. “The decision to allow liquor to be served on luxury ships will further inject energy into this sector,” he noted. The new policy has allows sale of liquor in industrial and IT parks. “Trade conferences and international summits are the biggest potential for MICE tourism,” Swaminathan pointed out. “The relaxations granted in industrial and IT parks will indirectly benefit MICE tourism.”