Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Wayanad to get tourism facilities

Thiruvananthapuram: Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said here on Thursday that the State government would develop Wayanad district, Bekal in Kasaragod and Muzhapulangadi beach and Dharmadhom Thuruthu in Kannur as major tourist destinations.

At a press conference, he said an increasing number of information technology (IT) professionals from neighbouring Karnataka were coming to Wayanad on weekends and short holidays.

However, the forested district lacked resorts and hotels to cater to their needs. Most IT professionals and foreign tourists visiting Wayanad stayed in houses as paying guests. The government would address this lack of tourism infrastructure in Wayanad, partly by encouraging private investment.

He said the long motorable beach front at Muzhapulangadi was proving to be a tourist attraction. Similarly, the government was developing better road and railway links to Bekal.

Ideally, Kerala needed 20,000 rooms to accommodate tourists. So far, it had been able to provide only 10,000. Tourism Secretary V. Venu said 25 hotels were under construction in Kerala. The upcoming projects, with facilities found in four-star hotels or even better, were expected to provide 2,500 to 3000 rooms. Ten projects were on the anvil pending government clearance.

Dr. Venu said the government had identified an international consultant for preparing a master plan for the development of Munnar.

Mr. Balakrishnan said there had been no drop in foreign tourists this year. Last season, nearly 65 lakh domestic tourists and 5 lakh foreigners visited Kerala.

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