Athul LalThiruvananthapuram: Elapeedika, Jatayupara, Paithalmala, Madayipara, Munroe Thuruthu, Muzhappilangad… The names may sound a bit strange. But the next time you visit Kerala, do savour the new treats on offer on Kerala Tourism’s platter. Yes, the global super brand is now undergoing transition. Kerala, God’s Own Country, is increasingly looking towards its northern parts for widening its tourism economy and expanding its enchanting product range. At the same time, the State is also reinvigorating its famed tourism circuits and destinations by being more inclusive.
Thanks to uncertain and often contradictory policies pursued by successive governments, demonetization and subsequent implementation of GST (Goods and Services Tax), Kerala’s tourism industry has been passing through a bad patch for the last two to three years. But the latest stats on tourist arrivals to Kerala in 2017 reaffirmed the appeal and power of ‘Brand Kerala’ yet again – the sector recorded 11.39 per cent rise in domestic and 5.15 per cent increase in Foreign Tourist Arrivals (FTAs) during the year.
“The good show has come at a time when the tourism industry was facing adversities caused by high GST rates and related issues,” says Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Tourism, Government of Kerala. With the growth rate almost doubling compared to the previous year, domestic tourist arrivals have touched figures which are more than what had been envisaged in the Kerala Tourism Policy. In terms of tourism revenue, total foreign exchange earnings from the tourism sector have increased 8.29 per cent to Rs. 8392.11 crore compared to 2016 figures. Total direct earnings from the sector grew to Rs. 26,000.33 crore from Rs. 23,098.15 crore, a growth of 12.56 per cent. The total revenue generation was Rs. 33,383.68 crore – an increase of Rs. 3725.12 crore than 2016.
“The growth figures point to the immense popularity Kerala Tourism enjoys beyond the State’s borders. The total growth rate in terms of tourist arrivals in 2017 is the highest registered in the last nine years. Considering that the increase in domestic tourist arrivals in 2016 was only 5.67 per cent compared to the 2015 numbers, the rise in 2017 is encouraging,” the Tourism Minister said. On the FTAs front, footfalls have increased from 10,38,419 to 10,91,870. There is an increase of 53,451 foreign tourists, taking the total number to almost 11 lakh. Domestic travellers to Kerala mainly arrived from southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.
Tamil Nadu accounts for the maximum footfall with 12.72 lakh visitors followed by Karnataka with 9.33 lakh tourists and Maharashtra with 5.47 lakh tourists. There has also been a significant increase in tourist arrivals from Delhi with 2,40,672 visitors (18.67 per cent increase) and Gujarat with 2,39,228 footfalls, showing a 24.48 per cent increase. Among foreign travellers who arrived in Kerala, tourists from the UK topped the list with footfalls seeing an increase of 16.35 percent at 1,80,975 visitors. However, there has been a significant increase in the number of travellers from North American countries with the US (5.83 per cent) and Canada (17.77 percent) posting considerable growth.
A total of 92,951 travellers arrived from the US during the year, while the number of Canadian tourists stood at 28,676. The number of travellers from four Asian countries – China, Japan, Maldives and Indonesia – also registered positive growth.
TOURISM POLICY 2017
Kerala’s new Tourism Policy 2017, recently unveiled by Minister Kadakampally Surendran, proposes to establish a Kerala Tourism Regulatory Authority (KTRA) to ensure quality service to tourists and curb unhealthy practices in the tourism sector. The supreme authority would be responsible for monitoring the functioning of different stakeholders. It also envisages the creation of new customised products for attracting young travellers, professionals, students and artists to the State, while implementing the Responsible Tourism (RT) initiative across the State. Says Rani George IAS, Secretary, Department of Tourism, “The new Tourism Policy 2017 has set an ambitious target of increasing domestic tourist arrivals by 50 per cent by the year 2021 and also of doubling FTAs during the same period. This would require a growth of around 9 per cent every year for domestic tourists and around 15 per cent for international tourists.”
The Government has decided to set up an Entrepreneurship Fund to support young entrepreneurs to take up tourism-related ventures. As part of its revised marketing strategy, the Department has also proposed the establishment of 1,000 new classified homestays to promote homestays and rural tourism. P Bala Kiran IAS, Director, Kerala Tourism and MD, Kannur International Airport said, “With the aim to implement ‘Barrier-Free Kerala Tourism’ this year, we have planned to launch new infrastructure development projects in order to create accessible and traveller-friendly spaces for the benefit of the differently-abled, elderly tourists and transgenders. The Department is keen to appoint a brand ambassador for Kerala Tourism in order to promote the State tourism products across the globe.”
MALANADU-MALABAR CRUISE
A detailed examination of Kerala Tourism stats would reveal that tourist arrivals to Kerala are predominantly confined to Thiruvananthapuram, Alappuzha, Idukki, Ernakulam and Wayanad districts. Figures also show that nearly 92 per cent of tourists come mainly to south Kerala circuits – Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, Kumarakom, Varkala and Kovalam, and then go back from Thiruvananthapuram. So, in a bid to achieve the ambitious growth targets set by the Tourism Policy, the Government has rolled out a mega river cruise project in North Kerala. Christened as Malanadu-Malabar Cruise, linking eight rivers and backwaters of Kannur and Kasargod districts, the Rs. 325-crore tourism project will commence soon with the construction of modern boat terminals and jetties.
It will involve Chandragiri, Tejaswani, Perumba, Kuppam, Valapattanam, Anjarakkandy and Mahe rivers and the backwaters of Valiyaparambu and Kavvayi. Union Minister of State (I/C) for Tourism K J Alphons has extended financial aid for the project.
The longest cruise routes are from Munambukadavu to Valapattanam and from Munderikadavu to Valapattanam, both covering a distance of 37 km. The shortest cruise routes are from Thekkil Bridge to Thalangara and from Peringathur to Mahe, both remain over 15 km apart.
KERALA RT MISSION
On October 20, 2017, Pinarayi Vijayan, Kerala Chief Minister, launched Kerala Responsible Tourism (RT) Mission, a first-of-its-kind initiative arguably in the whole world, to lead Kerala Tourism through people-friendly, local community-friendly and environment-friendly initiatives ensuring rural development, creation of employment opportunities and women empowerment.
“RT initiative started off at Kumarakom in 2008 is now a world-renowned concept and a subject of serious discussion across the globe. Within a span of nine years, Rs. 16 crore is the profit Kumarakom could gain through tourism. Currently, it is being implemented in only seven destinations in the State viz, Kumarakom, Thekkady, Vythiri, Ambalavayal, Kumbalangi, Bekal and Kovalam. With a bunch of new projects, we are now planning to expand RT across the State,” said Rupesh Kumar, State Coordinator, Kerala RT Mission.
Kerala Tourism’s RT initiative recently received a mega push at the global level with the initiative being honoured with World Responsible Tourism Award at WTM 2017 London. Among the 12 finalists, Kumarakom received the ‘Highly Recommended’ recognition. “The judging panel was impressed by the scale of achievement in securing benefits for the local community and by the zero waste and cleanliness campaigns,” he informed. Adds Rupesh Kumar, “RT has not been a mere slogan for the State. It is a development model being implemented with clear policy strategies for the good of the people. The State could not go for a Tourism Policy that did not conserve nature, art and culture of the land, and one that did not take into account the well-being of local people.”
‘PEPPER’ PROJECT
Participation for Planning and Empowerment through Responsible Tourism (PEPPER) is another effort towards establishing 100 per cent structured RT destinations. The pilot project was launched at Vaikom in Kottayam district. “It is an attempt to spearhead a movement that will safeguard the rights of the local community, preserve the ecological and cultural fabric of a destination and ensure its holistic development. PEPPER will reinvent the way the local community is involved in tourism. Gramasabhas (village communities) will be formed in each destination and they will have a major say in framing tourism policies. Soon, PEPPER will be the basis for developing the destinations in the State. It will develop into a tourism model that can be emulated across the world,” Rupesh Kumar said.
CULTURAL HERITAGE GETS A BOOST
For art aficionados, Kerala offers the relic-strewn lanes of Fort Kochi and a pilgrimage to the Kochi Muziris Biennale (KMB), which has changed the landscape of contemporary Indian art and helped make Kochi virtually the art capital of India. The next edition of the KMB is scheduled to be held from December 12, 2018 to March 29, 2019. For history buffs looking to transport themselves to another era, there is the Muziris Heritage Project. This UNESCO-backed endeavour has been designed to re-establish Kerala’s maritime associations with the countries on the Spice Route.
KERALA TOURISM IN STATE BUDGET
Kerala Government’s Budget 2018-19 has set aside Rs. 381 crore towards development and promotion of the tourism sector. According to the budget proposal, the State Government will focus more on conservation and preservation of heritage monuments in the coming financial year. An amount of Rs. 40 crore has been earmarked in this regard. The government also proposes to bring various country boat races held in the State under a competition league titled Kerala Boat Race League (KBL) and to support it with an allocation of Rs. 10 crore. The idea of KBL was put forward by the Nehru Trophy Boat Race (NTBR) Society, the organisers of the globally-renowned regatta, aiming to bring all the major boat races in the State under a single umbrella.
KERALA TRAVEL MART
Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) 2018 will be inaugurated on September 27, coinciding with World Tourism Day, which will be followed by three days of business-to-business meetings. The showpiece event is being organised by KTM Society in partnership with Kerala Tourism, offering a platform to key players in the revenue-generating sector to forge business linkages and give an impetus to the entire gamut of tourism industry. “The business-to-business meets of KTM offer a wide spectrum of opportunities. The event will be a perfect conduit for buyers and sellers to expand their business territories and attract potential buyers,” said Baby Mathew, President, KTM Society and MD, Somatheeram Group of Companies. The pre-registration for the event has already elicited an overwhelming response with over 800 domestic and 230 international buyers registering till date. Registration will close on July 28, 2018. For details, contact, Ph: +91 484 2203156 or log on to www.keralatravelmart.org
LAND OF ADVENTURE
Showcasing unexplored destinations and promoting adventure-related activities, Kerala Tourism has recently started projecting the State also as ‘The Land of Adventure’ across the globe. “Over the years, the tourism industry has changed rapidly, with tourists preferring to go beyond temples, monuments and modern sights. Interestingly, tourists these days prefer to explore hills, waterfalls and forests by indulging in adventurous activities. Henceforth, Kerala intends to be re-branded as ‘The Land of Adventure’ to woo the younger generation by offering activity and water-based tourism,” P Bala Kiran IAS said.
WHAT’S HOT IN KERALA?
PAITHALMALA
The scenic destination in Kannur district, Paithalmala is a beautiful hill station located 4,500 feet above sea level near the Kerala-Karnataka border. “With the aim of doubling domestic tourist arrivals by 50 per cent in the next five years, the Tourism Department is keen to promote such destinations,” Bala Kiran IAS said. The hill is spread across 500 acres of dense forest and is a perfect trekking destination for adventure enthusiasts.
MUZHAPPILANGAD BEACH
Kerala’s only drive-in beach, Muzhappilangad is about 7 km from Thalassery in Kannur district. You have a 4 km stretch of sand inviting you to simply drive along as you soak in the view of the beautiful Malabar Coast. Along the way, one gets to taste delicacies from a number of shacks that offer authentic Malabar cuisine. It is often considered a swimmer’s paradise as the black rocks off the coast protect them from deep water currents. One can also try adventure sports like paragliding, parasailing and micro-light gliding.
‘NEELAKURINJI’ BLOOM
Every 12 years, the hills of Munnar – the famed hill station in Kerala – offer a rare natural spectacle. It is the time ‘Neelakurinji’ (Strobilantheskunthianus), a flower with 40-odd varieties, blossoms in all its grandeur. An endless stretch of rolling hills carpeted with tiny blue flowers will welcome the visitors. This enchanting phenomenon can be witnessed between the months of July 2018 and October 2018 when the flowers bloom providing a visual extravaganza. In fact, there is no better time to visit Munnar than when the Neelakurinji blooms en masse.
JATAYUPARA
Jatayu Earth Center in Kollam district, spread over 65 acres of multi-terrain landscape with the huge sculpture of the mythical bird of Ramayana, Jatayu, sitting atop a hill, is becoming a hotspot for adrenaline junkies. The facility offers adventure activities like Paintball, Valley Crossing, Trekking, Zipline, Bouldering, Side Joola, Jumaring, Free climbing, Burma bridge, Rappelling, Wall climbing, Chimney climbing, Vertical ladder and Log walk. For details, contact, Ph: +91 474 2477077, +91 90725 88713 or log on to: www.jatayuadventurecenter.com
