The Hindu Business Line : Bid to promote Wayanad as tourism destination

IN an effort to promote Kerala's Wayanad district as a quality tourism destination, a group of tourism entrepreneurs based in the region have come together and set up the Wayanad Tourism Organisation.

The not-for-profit organisation, which was registered in February last year and has 14 members, is working to develop responsible and sustainable tourism in Wayanad. The objective is to put Wayanad on the tourism map, said Mr Victor Dey, President, Wayanad Tourism Organisation.

Wayanad and North Kerala as a whole have been largely ignored in official tourism promotion activities that have mainly focused on South and Central Kerala, said Mr K. Ravindran, General Secretary, Wayanad Tourism Organisation.

"In this context we decided that we should promote ourselves by collaborating with local Government institutions such as the District Tourism Promotion Council," he explained. The District Tourism Promotion Council has, in fact, been extremely supportive of the organisation's efforts to promote Wayanad, he added.

With two major wildlife sanctuaries, several heritage sites, lakes, rivers and mountains, Wayanad offers tourists a variety of holiday options to choose from, Mr Ravindran pointed out. In fact, the organisation's Web site — www.wayanad.org — has detailed information on the area's attractions.

While promoting Wayanad's tourism potential is the most important item on the organisation's agenda, it is also working on various projects to develop tourism as an alternative employment option for people in the district. One such initiative — in this predominantly agrarian region — is to promote the `home stay' concept, Mr Ravindran explained. Similarly, the organisation is looking at training local people as guides and is also preparing standards for the hospitality industry in the district.

Also on the cards is a programme to clean up all tourist destinations in Wayanad and make them litter-free. The Wayanad Tourism Organisation proposes to implement this initiative with the involvement of local people and local bodies, he said.

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