Terming the government's conduct on the issue as "disgraceful" and one which caused "immense damage" to the tourism industry in the state, the Kerala Classified Hotels and Resorts Association said Bachchan's image would have contributed to a tremendous increase in tourism revenue for the state.
If not the government, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation should have taken the initiative to bring Bachchan to Kerala if they were interested in promoting tourism, Association President G Subodhan and secretary K Krishnakumar told reporters here.
They said if KTDC also had political compulsions, the Association would invite him in association with other organisations in tourism sector.
"We hope Bachchan will respond positively to such an invitation," they added.
However, they wanted the government not to come out with open criticism if Bachchan took a generous decision to accept the Association's invitation.
The CPIM-led LDF government had said it had not yet taken a decision to make Bachchan the brand ambassador."The matter would be taken considering the controversy over the issue triggered by certain resistance from different quarters in the state as the actor was also the promoter of Gujarat and other states," Home and Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan had told the state Assembly recently.