The Hindu : Month-long cultural fete gets under way

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Dec 16, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Kerala-Thiruvananthapuram

Month-long cultural fete gets under way

By Our Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM Dec. 15. The month-long cultural extravaganza organised by the Department of Tourism, at the Kanakakkunnu grounds, will take off here on Monday.

The aim is to popularise the State's ethnic culture and heritage among foreign and domestic tourists and also to help sustain dying folk arts and the performing artists. The programmes are being organised with the help of sponsorship from people and institutions.

The Kanakakkunnu grounds, renovated and beautified at a cost of nearly Rs. 45 lakhs, will be made a centre of cultural activity in the city, the Tourism Minister, K. V. Thomas, said at the inaugural function of the 31-day cultural extravaganza.

Inaugurating the cultural fete, the Chief Minister, A.K. Antony, pointed out that tourism is the State's "goose that lays golden eggs'' and that it is up to the people here to see that they did not `kill' it.

Mr. Antony said that as representatives of the host country, it was our responsibility to ensure that the foreign tourists who came here went back with sweet memories of the happy days they had in Kerala.

He appealed to people to desist from exploiting foreign tourists for monetary or other gains and said that tourism promotion was possible only if the local people and civic bodies cooperated with the Government.

Tourists are the State's honoured guests and anyone caught misbehaving with them would be dealt with strictly, the Chief Minister said.

Tourism development would not only bring in money to the State's coffers, but also generate employment for local people in allied areas, he pointed out. The State was enjoying a good season and most hotels in tourist destinations had full bookings.

There were indeed some negative points, such as poor waste management facilities, which could dishearten tourists. However, with the `Clean Kerala' project set to take off, the problem would be successfully tackled within a year, he said.

He said that the local people should come forward to offer paying guest accommodation to foreign tourists and treat them as one of their family so that they were given an experience of our culture and lifestyle. This could also be a revenue-generating venture for local people.

Mr. Antony also had a special word for the foreign tourists who had been special invitees on the occasion. "Our speciality is that our entire State is one big tourist spot, which can give you a variety of experiences. Do not go without enjoying a boat ride along our enchanting backwaters. Spend more time with us and come back every year with more friends and relatives,'' he said.

The Tourism Secretary, T. Balakrishnan, welcomed the gathering, which was chaired by the Tourism Minister, Mr. Thomas. Others who spoke on the occasion included the Mayor, J. Chandra, V.S. Sivakumar, MP, and the Tourism Director, Alkesh Kumar Sharma.

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