Kerala to promote river-based tourism to attract more tourists

Thiruvananthapuram: The government will look into creating an adventure tourism circuit linking Kerala’s rivers to tap the great potential of river-based tourism in the southern state, Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas has said.

The minister said this after experiencing rafting and kayaking on the placid waters of the Anjarakandi river in Kannur district on Wednesday to showcase the immense potential of river-based tourism in north Kerala ahead of the Onam festival, the state Tourism Department said today.

”Water tourism has great potential for Kerala. It is also a safe getaway for families during the pandemic. Rafting and kayaking through our rivers will be an unforgettable experience,” Riyas said after an hour-long rafting.

The minister noted that no serious effort had so far been made to develop river tourism in Kerala, but the government has now chalked up plans to tap this sector in a big way as it would help increase the footfalls of both foreign and domestic tourists in substantial numbers.

”The government will look into creating an adventure tourism circuit linking the rivers of Kerala. Necessary infrastructure would be developed in key points of the circuit. The completion of the waterway project will impart an added momentum to aqua tourism in the state,” Riyas said.

The waterway project, traversing through 11 districts, will provide tourists with the opportunity to cruise through the ancient water highways. Around 50 tourism spots are to be created along the banks of the 633-km West Coast Canal (WCC) from Kovalam in the south to Kasaragod in the north, the tourism department said.

The minister, accompanied by his wife Veena, rafted through the 3-km stretch of the river from Pinarayi to Parapram, sending out a message that Kerala’s tourism has come out of the trough caused by the COVID pandemic, a department release said.