Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran on Friday said that the government was aiming at completing the first phase of the Malabar River Cruise Tourism Project this year itself.
He was speaking through videoconferencing after inaugurating the water taxi allotted at Parassinikkadavu as part of the cruise project. The water taxi named “Thacholi Othenan” was designed by the Tourism Department and Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC) as part of the project.
Malabar had great potential for tourism. However, full advantage of the possibilities could not be taken till now, Mr. Surendran said. With the opening of the Kannur airport, such possibilities had increased. It was in this context that the government had formulated a massive tourism project connecting the rivers of Kasaragod and Kannur districts for the development of tourism in north Malabar.
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Mr. Surendran said the project was being jointly implemented by the Central and State governments at a cost of ₹325 crore. The government planned to inaugurate the first phase of the project this year, adding that 85% of the projects proposed to be implemented in the tourism sector had been commissioned after the LDF came to power.
He said the State government had sanctioned ₹4.67 crore for the purchase of six boats. One of these boats was built and given to the Tourism Department. The KSINC had said that one boat would be available in March and the remaining four in May.