Giving a shot in the arm for local tourism in the State, 39 destinations will be added to the tourism map of Kerala soon. The State government has given administrative sanction to develop a total of 39 tourist destinations in various local bodies across the State under the ‘Destination Challenge’ project.
While one destination has been open to the public, the remaining 38 destinations are on various stages of development.
The Destination Challenge project was conceived by Kerala Tourism with the aim of developing at least one tourism destination in a local body, thereby reducing pressure on existing destinations. In the beginning, the project received flak from various corners after tardy progress in the project execution and the lukewarm response of local bodies making use of the scheme.
To bear 60% of cost
As per the project guidelines, the Department of Tourism will bear 60% of the total project cost with a ceiling of ₹50 lakh, while the remaining cost should be borne by the respective local bodies either from its own fund or through sponsorship. A year ago, the State government had also given permission for using the asset creation fund of MLAs for this purpose.
It is the responsibility of the local bodies to identify the destination and develop the first phase using their own share of the funds, once the masterplan is approved by the Tourism department. The department’s share will be given in the second phase. According to Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas, the department is hopeful of completing the work on 100 destinations across the State during the second term of the government. The approved projects will cost around ₹35.76 crore for developing the destinations as per the plan, while the Tourism department will bear a sum of ₹17.78 crore in the total project outlay.
In 13 districts
Among the 39 projects sanctioned in 13 districts across the State, except Thiruvananthapuram, the highest number of destinations has been approved in Idukki with eight projects, followed by six projects in Ernakulam, and four each projects in Wayanad and Kozhikode.
Developing destinations across the State is expected to reduce the pressure on existing destinations, as some of the popular destinations have been receiving tourists beyond the carrying capacity of such destinations situated in environmentally fragile regions.
Published - October 02, 2024 08:30 pm IST
