The government is working on an ambitious proposal to showcase the city’s rich tourism and cultural potential before sports enthusiasts from across the globe flying down here to watch the 2017 under-17 FIFA World Cup.
Kochi is among the five cities that have been selected to host the World Cup. The city is a strong favourite not only to host the league matches but also one or two knockout matches. Football fans and officials are expected to come in good numbers to participate in the country’s first World Cup event ever in its sporting history.
“This is a great opportunity to leverage the tourism potential of the State. We are planning a meeting of the stakeholders in December to chalk out the plan of action,” Urban Affairs Secretary A. P. M. Mohammed Hanish, who is the government’s nodal officer for the event, told The Hindu .
Officials of departments including Tourism, Culture, Information and Public Relations will interact with stakeholders in the tourism sector here to work out ideas that would help in wooing the visitors to the scenic locales, heritage and historical destinations in Kochi and nearby areas.
“Kochi will be presented as the most happening place in the State as part of the initiative. A campaign will be rolled out to highlight the tourism and cultural destinations here ahead of the prestigious sporting event,” said Mr. Hanish.
The government has plans to tag the city’s opportunity to host a World Cup with the ongoing projects related to the Smart City Proposal (SCP) under the Union Ministry of Urban Development’s Smart Cities Mission project. The Departments of Public Works and Urban Affairs will jointly step up the city’s infrastructure for hosting the under-17 FIFA World Cup.
The government will also fund the development of the four training grounds in Ernakulam for the event that include Maharaja’s Stadium, Panampilly Nagar Sports Academy, Fort Kochi Veli Ground and Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies (KUFOS) at Panangad.
