Kerala woos tourists to experience magic of monsoon

WTO General Secretary,K R Vancheeswaran said that the aim is to make ‘Splash’ an annual nine-day affair.

The July 3-11 the event comprises a mix of indoor and outdoor activities. Country rafting,paddy transplantation,ploughing,crab catching,elephant ride,treasure hunt,slush football and biking in the wet weather are some of the programmes on the anvil,he said.

Besides,he said,the tourists will also get a feel of Kerala’s rich culture,its varied dance forms like Mohiniattam,Kathakali,Theyyans and also tribal dances. The visitors will also get a taste of the local cuisine.

Monsoon is also the apt time for Ayurveda treatments and it is being offered to visitors longing for rejuvenation.

Francis Paul Kandamkulathy,Managing Director of Indian Voyagers Private Ltd,said they have already started Ayurveda tourism during this season. The bookings are mainly from domestic tourists from Delhi,Hyderabad and Chennai.

Rejuvenation packages and Panchakarma treatment are all on offer to the tourists,who are mainly IT professionals,craving for relief from stress.

Paul,who organises ‘Kerala Paddy Culture Tours’ for university students from abroad,said due to the global recession this year at least 17 groups,mainly from UK,France and Australia,had cancelled their trips.

The houseboat operators are also planning to attract tourists during the rains.

Tomy Pullikkattil,Chairman of the Pullikattik Group,said probable visitors were enquiring about houseboat tourism.

They are also planning to launch a package tour for those interested in enjoying the rains in the backwaters,he said.

Not wanting to be left behind,the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation Ltd,a Government of Kerala undertaking,is organising daily two-hour ‘Rain Cruises’ in the Kochi backwaters.

Foreign tourist arrivals in Kerala during 2008 was 5,98,929 against 5,15,808 during 2007,an increase of 16.11 per cent,tourism department sources said. The domestic tourist arrivals was 75,91,250 last year against 66,42,941 in 2007,a 14.28 per cent rise.

The sources said the foreign exchange earnings for 2008 was Rs 3066.52 crore against Rs 2640.94 crore in the previous year,recording a growth of 16.11 per cent.

The tourism industry is keeping its fingers crossed hoping the monsoon will bring in more visitors.