Recurring natural calamities, panic over COVID-19, night traffic ban on the Kozhikode-Kollegal National Highway 766, and closure of major ecotourism destinations under the Forest Department have cast a shadow over the tourism prospects of Wayanad.
“Tourism stakeholders faced massive cancellations from August to September last year owing to floods and are facing a similar situation since January owing to COVID-19,” P. Soman, a homestay owner at Cheeral, says.
“We got an average of 100 bookings a year till 2016-17. But it has declined to 25 to 30 now, thanks to floods in 2018 and 2019, Nipah outbreak in Kozhikode, Sabarimala issue, and finally COVID-19,” he said.
K.R. Vancheeswaran, president, Wayanad Tourism Organisation (WTO), says rain-related calamities in the past two years have scared off foreign and domestic tourists. “There was a decline in the arrival of tourists by 20 to 25% in the 2018-19 fiscal when compared to 2016-17,” he said. “However, the WTO has started organising roadshows in major metros to convince tourism operators that Wayanad is now a safe destination,” he said.
Major issues
The ban on tourists to the Soochipara waterfalls, Kuruva islets on the Kabani river, Chembra peak, and the Meenmutty waterfalls at Padinharethara, as per a High Court directive last year, has affected the industry.
Road connectivity issues and the night traffic ban on the Bandipur part of the Kozhikode-Kollegal National Highway 766 are the other dampeners.
DTPC initiatives
“We have started efforts to vacate the stay on ecotourism centres,” A. Anand, secretary, DTPC Wayanad, said.
He said the DTPC was planning to organise more destination-based events in the district, apart from travel marts and roadshows being organised by the Tourism Department to attract tourists. The DTPC would organise a ‘Fleamarket’, a ten-day event to provide night-life experience in Wayanad to attract more tourists, especially youths, to the destination.
The programme would be held at the Sulthan Bathery town square from April 4 to April 14, Mr. Anand said.
“Though there was a lull during the monsoon last year and the end of January after the COVID-19 scare, we expect the inflow of tourists to increase from the first week of April,” Mr. Vancheeswaran said.
“We hope that the proximity of the district to the Kannur and Mysuru airports will bring in more domestic and foreign tourists in the coming years,” he said.
