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C. J. Punnathara

The hub-and-spoke development paradigm has taken Kerala to the top in the tourism sector. And the latest to take that path is Wayanad, which is emerging as the tourism hub of the Malabar region.

It was a roost, fit for the eagles and 200 ft up in the air. Amidst the thick, luxurious canopy of the rain forest, with only the gentle murmur of a perennial forest stream, far below, for company. The Tree House Resort (Green Magic) had found its place in the wet, evergreen forests of Wayanad in Kerala. "The response was overwhelming," says Abdul Kareem, Managing Director of the Tree House Resort. "We had a stream of visitors from almost all parts of the globe during the first year itself," he adds. But he was not a satisfied man. The numbers never added up.

There are just two tree houses in his 500-acre property of undulating hills, forests, cardamom and coffee plantations, which could accommodate just two families of maybe four members each. And the demand continued to grow. The investment was not very high. The returns were good. Yet, the volume of business left much more to be desired.

And so, the Jungle Park Resorts, consisting of 23 villa rooms and eight houserooms, a reception, lobby, administrative office, restaurant, recreation hall and a mini conference hall, was started. The mysteries of the Malabar Coast were beginning to be unravelled to the intrepid international traveller.

Almost 500 years since the first European, Vasco Da Gama, set foot on the Indian sub-continent at Kozhikode, the area has seen few international tourists. Undoubtedly, it was the hub-and-spoke development paradigm, which had taken Kerala to the pinnacles of glory in the tourism sector, he says. And it is the same model that is being emulated in Wayanad, Malabar.

About three decades ago, tourism took off in Kerala from the Kovalam beaches, where a cluster of hotels mushroomed catering to different tastes, income brackets and lifestyles of the tourists. Slowly, but surely, Kovalam began to emerge on international tourist maps as a major beach destination. It became the hub and places such as Varkala and Ponmudi emerged as spokes offering a wholesome tourist circuit.

Then it was the turn of Kochi, which developed as the hub for visitors to central Kerala. A spate of hotels emerged nurturing the different tastes and aspirations of the tourists. With easy accessibility, places such as Kumarakom and Alappuzha with its backwater tourism and Thekkady with its wildlife tourism emerged as spokes offering a variety of experiences to the international visitor.

"Now it is the turn of the picturesque Wayanad district to emerge as the hub for the Malabar region," Kareem says. After years of persistent effort, a few pioneers had made a name for themselves in the hills of Wayanad. Recognition and response were slow in coming. But the cluster development model has been taking roots in this place as well.

A cluster of hotels enables a common theme and marketing strategy for the destination. Recognition and acceptance is a lot easier in common marketing strategies, he says. Group booking is also a distinct possibility when there is a bevy of hotels on offer with sufficient room capacity. These seem to be emerging at Vythiri, the gateway to Wayanad.

First off the block was the Vythiri Resorts. Then came the Tree House Resorts. And now, the Jungle Park Resorts. "We are growing and will soon become the hub for tourism development in Malabar," he says.

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