Kalpetta: Abandoned destinations, deadly silent resorts and homestays, hassle-free roads sans the usual hustle and bustle of vehicles and closed-down business establishments - the horror of the Mundakkai-Chooralmala landslide still haunts the tourism industry of Kerala's Wayanad, which left thousands jobless. Though the direct impact of the disaster was limited to two tiny hamlets on the Western tip of Wayanad, the images of the horrific catastrophe that washed out parts of two villages along with 450 of its inhabitants still linger in the minds of people across geographical boundaries.
Countless families living around the tourism destinations of Wayanad earn a living through allied tourism activities, such as trading indigenous food items and farm produce like spices and honey, selling curios, tourist guides, cleaning staff at tourism spots, local tour operators, and drivers of tourist taxis. While the state government hesitates to declare Wayanad a safe spot for tourists and travel operators and tourists are hesitant to embrace Wayanad post-landslide, the tourism industry continues to be a forsaken sector. Though the Onam season is around the corner, there is no euphoria anywhere, and a pall of gloom still rules at large.
Major destinations still closed
Only a few destinations have opened, and even in those, there is negligible footfall. The major destinations, Soochipara Waterfalls, Kuruva Islands, and Kanthanpara Waterfalls, and the wildlife safaris at Muthanga and Tholppetti, are still closed. The Edakkal Caves opened only on Friday. Only one or two tourists’ vehicles were seen, and a handful of tourists were found roaming. Among the odd 60-plus shops, only three were opened. “If things continue to be the same, we will be forced to take the extreme step as this is the only job we know”, said Rabiya, a native of Edakkal who is employed in a curio shop. Rabiya told Onmanorama that being a single mother with three children, they struggled to make two ends meet the last month. “Majority of the staff in the shops here are women who are not at all qualified for any other jobs”, she said.
“I am clueless about what to do”, said Vinod E P, who owns two curio shops at Edakkal Caves which have been closed since the landslide. “There are more than a hundred business establishments around the destination including farm stays, tiny juice shops, and plant nurseries, all of them are closed now”, he said. Though the number of tourists allowed into the cave was limited to just over 1900, during the season, more than 4000 tourists would reach the spot, and most of them would return without visiting the cave. Still, they would purchase curios and taste unique food varieties, and many used to have food from the ubiquitous women-run homely food courts attached to houses. The destination alone used to help up to 300 families eke out a living but now poses an abandoned look.
On the way to Edakkal Caves, Santha and her daughter-in-law Sindhu, both members of a Kudumbasree unit, dust their restaurant and serve homely food to the tourists. “We used to serve sadya (traditional Kerala lunch) for the tourists”, Santha said. Around ten women were engaged in running the hotel, which ensured them an additional income other than their routine agrarian jobs. “We hope by Onam things would change, and people would realize that the catastrophe had affected only the tip of Wayanad, and the rest of the Wayanad is still safe”, she added.
Hardly any tourists
According to the data of the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), at Pookkode Lake, the prime tourist destination that is still open, the average number of tourists has nosedived to an all-time low of 300 persons per day. During the peak of the season, up to 4000 tourists used to jostle each other at Pookkode. More than 1000 taxi jeeps, cars, and auto-rickshaws were operating in the district, catering to the tourism industry, according to leaders of driver's unions. More than 100 tourist taxis are enlisted at the ‘Spot Taxi Call Centre’ alone, catering exclusively to the tourism industry at Sulthan Bathery alone.
Secretary of the ‘Call Taxi Center’ N Sajeev told Onmanorama that most of the vehicles are parked in the shed for the entire month as they are not getting even the diesel cost to take them to the taxi stand and back. “Till the disaster, though it was monsoon, we were comfortable as we had a money flow to make our two ends meet,” he added. Apart from this, in remote villages, at least two vehicles are attached to a tourism property, whether it is a resort, homestay, or serviced villa. These properties depend on the local vehicles as it would be tough for them to access taxis when they are in need.
Wayanad Tourism Organization (WTO) secretary CP Sailesh told Onmanorama that most resorts affiliated with the organisation are partially closed down as the post-landslide cancellations were almost cent per cent. “Most of them are struggling to meet the huge maintenance cost of the tourism properties”, he said, adding that the disaster with such a magnitude was a bolt from the blue for the industry, just climbing up from the abyss it had fallen during the Corona period. “Most of us were forced to cut down the staff to reduce the operational costs”, he said. Unlike in the past, when the top-notch properties were safe with sufficient guests, the current trend has a sweeping impact as all tourism properties are affected alike.
“Even during the Corona days, we were in a better position”, said Roy Chacko, the marketing head of Vythiri Resort, the pioneers in the hospitality industry in Wayanad. “We have no other choice but to reach out to the travel buffs across the world with the message that Wayanad is safe and the disaster had struck only at a small part of the vast district”, he added. Last month, despite the heavy monsoon we managed to give the salary for the staff and also to meet the other expenses. “This month, there is no way out but to source a loan to meet the expenses”, said a resort owner who preferred anonymity. “Though I had told my staff that they are free to take leave, none of them are leaving as we ensure daily food for them here”, he added. “Taking leave means he has to meet the cost of his daily bread”, he pointed out.
However, the industry players are still hopeful that by Onam, they can come up, and the tourists would help them regain the lost glory of Wayanad. An array of promotional programmes has also been planned with the tagline ‘Wayanad is Safe’. Moves are also afoot to rope in the help of celebrities from film and sports to create awareness among tourists across borders that the entire Wayanad is not a trouble spot.
