Three more tourist spots in Wayanad have been opened to revive the tourism sector in the district that was ravaged by the massive landslides in July. Mananthavady Pazhassi Park, the Edakkal Caves and Pancharakolli Priyadarshini will be open to tourists. The entry to the tourism spots in the district was banned on July 21 due to the heavy rains. Meanwhile, Pookode Lake, Karalad Lake, Pazhassi Memorial at Pulpalli Mavilamthod, Bathery Town Square and Ambalavayal Heritage Museum were opened from August 15 onwards after securing approval from the disaster management committee. The Kuruva Islands and the Cheengeri Mountains are yet to be opened. The District Tourism Promotion Council had arranged raft-riding facilities in the river after the court had banned entry to the Kuruva Islands. Meanwhile, people of the locality hope these centres will be opened soon and that they won’t lose out on the Onam season.
1,920 persons can enter Edakkal Caves
The Ambalavayal town would be vibrant again as the Edakkal Caves have been opened for tourists. Up to 1,920 visitors would be allowed entry into the cave complex in a day. Tourism was the main source of income for more than sixty shops in the vicinity. The authorities hope tourists will arrive in the coming days due to the Onam season. The Pazhassi park was closed when the water level had risen to alarming levels in the nearby river due to the heavy rains. Renovation works, including arranging facilities for morning walks under the Wayanad package, are in progress in the park. The authorities plan to arrange extensive facilities to conduct weddings and other events in the park.
Eco tourist centres remain closed
Even while the tourism centres under the DTPC are being opened, there is no clarity regarding the district's opening of the eco-tourism centres. The number of tourists visiting these places has been dwindling even before it completely stopped after the landslides. Those who earn a living from the tourism industry are struggling to make ends meet; hotels and other businesses, too, have suffered. Domestic and foreign tourists are shying away from visiting the district as the focus has been on the landslides in the media. Last month, a booking worth Rs 45 lakh was cancelled at a well-known resort near Kalpetta.
Entrepreneurs say the Onam season would be disastrous if the eco-tourism centres weren’t opened. The Kuruva Islands, Tholpetti Wildlife Sanctuary, Brahmagiri Trekking Centre, Soochipara Waterfalls, Meenmutti Waterfalls, Chembra Peak, Muneeshwaran Hills and the Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary were temporarily closed on February 19 after an employee of the Kuruva forest preservation samiti was killed in a wild elephant attack. The crisis worsened when Justices Dr AK Jayasankaran and P Gopinath ordered that the centres be opened only per the court's instructions. This significantly reduced the number of tourists visiting other places too.
Meanwhile, the landslides have completely toppled the businesses of resorts, homestays and service villas. Hotels and small-scale business owners are suffering as they no longer earn income from tourism. The shortage of tourists has affected the Kudumbasree stalls, wayside eateries, handicraft shops, and fruit stalls near the tourist centres. Besides, tourist taxi owners and drivers are jobless. Moreover, the delay in reopening the eco-tourism centres has caused a large dent in the government’s income in the form of tax. The tourism sector, meanwhile, rests its hope on the government’s decision to campaign for reviving Wayanad tourism from September onwards.
