JOIN USKerala pins hopes on caravan project to revive tourism
In a boost to the tourism sector of Kerala, the first caravan park of Kerala was opened at Vagamon, a popular high-range tourist destination in the Idukki district of Kerala.
Titled 'Keravan Kerala', the caravan tourism project announced a few months ago had received a good response from the tourism sector. So far, close to 300 investors have come up with proposals. While over 200 proposals were for rolling out caravans with state-of-the-art amenities, around 70 proposals for setting up caravan parks for parking the caravans have come up, said tourism department sources.
Kerala Tourism Minister Mohammed Riyas, who formally inaugurated the first caravan park, had said that efforts were being made to popularise the innovative initiative in the tourism sector with the aim of exploring the unexplored tourist spots of Kerala.
The caravan tourism project was initiated in a bid to revive the Covid-hit tourism sector of Kerala. It is being modelled on the lines of the luxury houseboat tourism of Kerala, which had even attracted international celebrities.
Private players were being offered subsidies and incentives for setting up caravans, with caravan parks also to be set up at unexplored tourist spots across the state.
Kerala Tourism director V R Krishna Teja said that there were many unexplored tourism destinations in Kerala. Restriction in constructing facilities like hotels in the ecologically sensitive areas was the major hindrance in exploring such unexplored destinations. Hence, the caravan tourism project would help in taking tourists to such spots.
Up to 15 caravans can be parked at the Karavan Meadows caravan park in Vagamon inaugurated on Friday. More such parks would be opened across the state shortly.
The tourism sector of Kerala has been going through a tough time over the past few years owing to back-to-back issues like Nipah outbreak, natural calamities and Covid-19. Hence the new initiative has triggered fresh hopes to the industry that brings much revenue to the state.
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