Wayanad makes a splash at tourism fair

Wayanad, the fastest growing tourism destination in Kerala, made a splash at last week’s Kerala Travel Mart here.

The KTM, the largest annual tourism marketing fair in the State jointly organised by the industry and the government, showcased a variety of Wayanad’s tourism products. Among the more than 200 stalls, the district had the largest number.

They included hotels, resorts, home-stays, tour operators and event managers. Interestingly, most of those who showcased their products and services were small players, mainly single-property owners. Coordinated efforts by the tourism industry from the district is said to have helped Wayanad to make its presence felt at the fair.

A large number of buyer-seller meetings were held for Wayanad at the KTM. Many of the ‘buyers’ were from the UK and Germany.

“Wayanad has everything a tourist looks for, except a beach,” says Arun Ramakrishnan of Upavan Resort at Lakkidi.

But until recently, the district had not been marketed. Even now, hardly 10 per cent of the tourism potential of the district had been explored. Unlike Kumarakom, Munnar or Kovalam, which were single destinations, Wayanad is a huge area, comprising an entire district.

“We have wildlife, misty weather, forests, mountains, water bodies, adventure, trekking and above all peace of mind to offer to the tourists,” Ramakrishnan says.

It was in less than a decade that Wayanad caught tourists’ attention. In fact, the tourism development has been closely linked to the growth of Bangalore as a global IT destination.

“Even now, the largest number of Wayanad’s guests is from Bangalore,” said John Mathews, a tourism operator. Young IT couples seeking a weekend getaway from Bangalore’s crowded space find solace in Wayanad’s balmy weather, greenery and mist.

Wayanad has the unique advantage of being close to Karnataka and Tamil Nadu and hence tourists on short holidays from the neighbouring districts of these two States opt for Wayanad. Also foreign tourists arriving in Bangalore often make a trip to the mountain district.

“But, compared with Kovalam, Kumarakom or Munnar, we get fewer visitors from the rest of Kerala,” Mathews noted.

Of late, a large number of domestic tourists from upcountry States, particularly from Gujarat and Maharashtra, are visiting Wayanad, a tourist operator pointed out. This was because of aggressive marketing by the tourism players in the district. Many of these visitors, with lots of money to spend, prefer to stay at top-end facilities or well-equipped home-stays.

Rain in Wayanad is an experience many visitors cherish and for the past few years the industry organisations have been promoting monsoon tourism. Events such as ‘Splash’ introduce the tourists to car racing, boating, kayaking and rain football during the monsoon season. (The next Splash event is on July 10-12).

However, most tourism players have one complaint: “Kerala Tourism is ignoring Wayanad; they don’t promote the district as they do other destinations.”