AHMEDABAD:
Sending out a message that most of tourism locations in Kerala have survived the onslaughts of the recent calamitous floods, a top official of the state’s Tourism Department today said God’s Own Country is gearing up to welcome domestic and international guests during the upcoming tourism season from next month.
“Kerala Tourism is quickly bouncing back from the flood-related damage which has not affected most of the tourism locations in the state, and the state government has accorded priority to speedy restoration of roads connecting major destinations,” said P Bala Kiran, Director, Department of Tourism, Govt. of Kerala.
Addressing a press conference here on the sidelines of the Travel and Tourism Fair (TTF), he said, “Most of the tourist locations were intact. Most of the resorts and hotels are unaffected. There is also a huge support from tourism trade across India.”
Singling out the damage to roads connecting tourism destinations as a major challenge, Bala Kiran said the government is giving top priority to rebuilding these roads. He also pointed out that the tourist arrivals had started picking up from August 29. “All the airports as also road and rail transportation are operational in the state and the fourth airport at Kannur in north Kerala will be opened soon,” he said.
Munnar, Thekkady and Wayanad, the three prime locations which were affected due to rains and landslides, are now open for tourists and the public. Also, all sightseeing spots across the state are now accessible for tourists. Eravikulam National Park reopened on September 01 and eco-tourism activities in Thekkady are operational.
Bala Kiran said Malabar region in North Kerala would be promoted in a big way after the opening of the Kannur airport. Kerala Travel Mart 2018, being held as scheduled from September 27-30, would help the participants from different parts of the world to discover a new Kerala, which has demonstrated a high level of resilience at all levels to overcome the disastrous aftermath of the floods, he added.
As planned, the Champions Boat League will be launched in 2018 with a spotlight on water and renewed life around water.
Kerala Tourism will launch a string of aggressive promotional campaigns in key foreign markets to promote the upcoming 4th edition of Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), the biggest contemporary art event in Asia. It will be held from December 12, 2018 to March 19, 2019.
He said the newly opened Jatayu Adventure Centre near Thiruvananthapuram would be a major attraction during the coming tourist season. The centre houses the world’s largest bird sculpture, a virtual reality museum, a state of the art ropeway and many other adventure activities.
