Kerala Tourism and PWD Minister, PA Mohamed Riyas, met Union Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Delhi and extended an invitation to a Global Wellness Conclave that the state tourism department plans to host later this year.
Kerala Tourism has presented project proposals worth INR 700 crore to the Centre. Kerala Tourism and PWD Minister, PA Mohamed Riyas, presented the proposal at a meeting with Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in Delhi.
Later, briefing the media, the Kerala Minister said that the state has the potential to become a key hub for tourism in the country if the Centre extends the necessary funding assistance for destination development.
He said that the Union Minister had expressed satisfaction with the progress of ongoing projects in the state and assured full support to the state in the meeting.
The key projects for which the Kerala Tourism Minister sought financial assistance include Sarovaram Biodiversity Park in Kozhikode, Malabar River Fest, Koodaranji Responsible Tourism Village, development of Muzhupilangad Beach, Vengad Cultural Village, Fort Kochi Beach development, development of Kovalam Beach, and development of Kappil Beach in Varkala.
Out of these projects, major assistance was sought for Muzhupilangad Driving Beach development (INR 150 crore), Fort Kochi Beachfront development (INR 200 crore), and INR 50 crore each for Sarovaram Biodiversity Park, Koodaranji RT Village, among others.
The state also demanded a campus of the National Institute of Water Sports in Beypore, which has emerged as an important destination for water sports in the last few years.
The Tourism Minister said that six projects, with central assistance of about INR 374 crore, are at different stages of development in the state, and these projects are progressing under regular monitoring by the department. He said that the Union Minister had expressed satisfaction with the progress of those projects.
Riyas informed that the first phase of the Ashtamudi Biodiversity Eco-Recreational Hub and the first phase of the Sargalaya Global Gateway Project, connecting many beaches between Craft Village and Chaliyam in Kozhikode, will be commissioned in the New Year. Similarly, the Thalassery Heritage Project and other projects at Varkala, Alappuzha, Malampuzha, etc., are also in progress, with monitoring taking place on a fortnightly basis at the official level and monthly at the ministerial level.
Taking into account the potential of wellness tourism in the state, the Minister said that state tourism was planning to host a Global Wellness Conclave this year, aiming to position Kerala as a wellness hub of the world. He said that the dates for the conclave will be finalised based on the schedule of the upcoming local body elections in the state.
