The Hindu Business Line : Wayanad Tourism makes inroads into Gujarat

Kochi, April 13 Wayanad Tourism Organization, the non-profit society striving for the last eight years to spot the marginalised northern hill district Wayanad in the tourism map of the “God’s Own Country” Kerala, has made its footmark in Gujarat.

The organisation’s recent road-show in Ahmedabad, projecting Wayanad as the land of adventures and wilderness within Kerala’s homogenised tourism scene, has drawn the interests of the Travel Corporation of Gujarat Ltd (TCGL) and the two agencies have proposed to negotiate further and sign an MoU to promote mutual interests in the booming tourism industry supplies.

The MoU would aim at concerted efforts for a tenfold increase in visitors from Gujarat to Wayanad, Mr Raveendran, Wayanad Tourism Organization spokesperson and General Secretary of Malabar Tourism Organisation, said in a statement.

The Wayanad organisation, the private sector initiative of hoteliers and tourism entrepreneurs in the district, aims at planning and initiating steps that lead to growth of tourism in the district, bringing in innovative and professional management of the Wayanad brand, and developing Wayanad’s tourism resources and capabilities.

It has been taking a leading role in fostering a culture of “responsible and sustainable tourism” in the fragile mountain ecosystem of Wayanad, one of the last surviving tracts of tropical biodiversity, Mr Raveendran said.

Road show

Mr Kamalesh Patel, Chairman, TCGL, who inaugurated the road-show called for an inclusive growth in tourism that would benefit the common man, such as the taxiwallahs and the auto rickshaw drivers, as much as the hoteliers.

Mr Vaghela, Managing Director, TCGL, proposed signing an MoU between the two organisations.

Wayanad is home to exotic spices and legends, ancient ruins, mountain caves and offered the tourists exclusive packages (including outdoor, wildlife, heritage and leisure trails), spice and farm tourism, stay in tree houses and bamboo huts etc. The members of the Wayanad Tourism Organization have developed packages linking Wayanad with the Malabar coast in Kerala as well as tourist destinations such as Udhagamandalam, Kodagu and Mysore in neighbouring Karnataka.

While Kerala had registered an increase of 20.37 per cent in foreign tourist inflow in 2007 over the previous year, Wayanad district achieved a high 56.76 per cent growth over the same period, Mr Raveendran said. In domestic tourists’ inflow, the district recorded 13.40 per cent growth, against the State average of 5.92 percentage.

As many as 23 property owners from Wayanad participated in the road show held at the Karnavati Club in Ahmedabad. Over 150 travel operators in Gujarat visited the stalls. The Ahmedabad Kerala Samajam has also evinced keen interest in working with the organisation to promote the State’s tourism interests in Gujarat.

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