Tourism Minister A.P. Anilkumar has said that plans are afoot to start airstrips in Kasaragod and Wayanad for improving connectivity to draw more domestic and foreign tourists to tourism destinations in the region.
Speaking at a meet-the-press programme held at the Press Club here on Saturday, the Minister said that the works for developing the proposed airstrip in Kasaragod were expected to begin in the current financial year itself. The government possessed a 60-acre land located 12 kms away from Bekal, he said adding that steps were on to acquire additional 40 acres as 100 acres were required for developing the airstrip. Ten places have been identified in Wayanad for the proposed airstrip there, he disclosed.
Mr. Anilkumar said that lack of connectivity including good road infrastructure was the major hurdle in the way of projects aimed at attracting more tourists to the Malabar region. Though the region has high potential for tourism development, the tourism sector here had not recorded growth comparable to the tourism growth elsewhere in the State, he said adding that the number of tourists reaching the Malabar region accounted for only 20 per cent of the tourist arrival in the State.
Assuring that the government would give special consideration for the development of tourism destinations in the Malabar region, the Thalassery heritage tourism project launched by the previous government would be given top priority. He said that the works under the project that were already secured administrative sanction would be started soon.
Equally important were the beaches in the region which could not be utilised fully for attracting the tourists, he said. Lack of road connectivity to the beaches being a major obstacle to their development, efforts would be taken to develop roads to the beach destinations, he said adding that steps were also under way to complete the Bekal tourism project, he added.
The Minister said that the success of Kerala tourism, launched 25 years ago, owed much to its marketing. The government had already initiated measures to market new tourism destinations in the State. He also said that backwater tourism potential of the north Malabar region would also be explored.
The development of tourism project at Pythalamala in the eastern hill area of this district was in the final stage, Mr. Anilkumar said adding that proposal for a tourism circuit connecting the beaches and hill stations in the region was also under consideration. The Minister, who had visited the Chirakkal Chira (a large tank owned by the Chirakkal Kovilakam) here in the morning, said that the Tourism Department was prepared to sanction funds for the protection of the tank if the Kovilakam members gave their consent. The District Tourism Promotion Council has been asked to prepare a project after consulting with the Kovilakam authorities, he said.
To a question, the Minister said that the Chief Minister had taken personal initiative for the development of proposed roads and bypasses in the district to improve the road infrastructure in the district.
