The Hindu Business Line : Malabar ecotourism circuit soon

Likely to be called `Malabar mangroves ecotourism circuit,' it will extend from Malappuram to Kasaragod, said Mr T.P. Narayanan Kutty, Director, Ecotourism.

The circuit is likely to be ready by next year and will include mangrove forests in the Malabar region and, perhaps, visits to the nesting grounds of Olive Ridley turtles.

WAYANAD PLANS

Also on the anvil are ecotourism circuits for Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod districts, he added.

Meanwhile, the Ecotourism Department is looking at extending ecotourism initiatives to non-forest areas that are ecologically sensitive.

The explosion in the number of visitors to popular tourist centres has started putting environmental pressures on many destinations, Mr Kutty said.

The plan is to make the entire tourism industry eco-friendly, he added.

Thanal, a Thiruvananthapuram-based NGO, has been asked to prepare a concept paper on this venture.

Creating awareness about the need for eco-friendly practices in tourism will be a key component of this initiative, he said.

As part of the project, the Ecotourism Department is looking at measures such as tourism self-help groups to enhance the involvement of local communities in tourism activities.

CENTRAL FUNDING

The Department has just received funding from the Centre for two projects at the Thenmala ecotourism facility in Kollam district.

While Rs 24 lakh has been sanctioned for setting up a butterfly park, Rs 74 lakh has been provided for establishing an aquarium at Thenmala.

The Centre has also sanctioned Rs 8 crore for creating a `southern ecotourism circuit' in Kerala, linking Neyyar with Nelliampathy, he added.

According to Mr Kutty, work on the butterfly park in Thenmala has already commenced and the facility should be ready in about six months.

The butterfly park is being set up with assistance from the Kerala Forest Research Institute, while the aquarium is being set up with the support of the Central Marine Fisheries Research Institute.

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