Amidst attempts by the authorities to develop Kottayam as the hub of sustainable tourism in Kerala, two village destinations from the district are set to add a fresh layer of experience on their tourism potentials.
Global appeal
Buoyed by the growing global appeal of the lake-side villages of Kottayam, the authorities have included the island village of Maravanthuruth along with Manchira, near Aymanam, in its upcoming STREET project for seven destinations across the State.
The programme, conceived by the RT Mission Kerala, envisages establishing dedicated tourism streets by highlighting the traditional lifestyles and rural tourism potential of each region in the district.
Commenting on the initiative, K. Rupesh Kumar, coordinator, RT Mission, said at least three streets of different themes would come up in each of the designated locations.
The local self-governing agencies and local residents would play a major role in this process, which was envisaged as a public-private partnership project.
“While the tourism resources of Manchira that forms part of the Ayamanam model RT village will be branded under the scheme, it is expected to benefit the obscure village of Maravanthuruth in a much bigger way. The island, with its well-connected canal network, interminable polder network and proximity to places likes Kochi, Alappuzha and Kottayam, has a number of local attractions and boasts of a unique cultural tradition,” he said.
The place, according to him, had the potential to offer innovative experiences of experiential tourism by establishing streets for art and culture, village life experience, and agri tourism.
The STREET, which is an acronym for Sustainable, Tangible, Responsible, Experiential, Ethnic, Tourism hubs, takes inspiration from the ‘Tourism for Inclusive Growth’ slogan of The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
Life experiences
According to officials, Kottayam currently has the greatest number of villages that have developed the capacity to share its life experiences to the visitors.
Additionally, the Vaikom town and nine panchayats adjoining it too are being developed under a programme for People’s Participation for Planning and Empowerment through Responsible Tourism or PEPPER.
