Kerala to restore Bekal Fort in the state's North

Land prices a key worry for tourism than Kasturirangan report on Western Ghats

After the launch of the seaplane project connecting lakes and backwaters of tourism interest with the busy centres in the state last year, the Kerala government is developing Bekal Fort and the associated beach in the North.

The fort renovation project, located close to Kasargod, is a joint effort of the state government and the Union ministry’s department of Archaeology and Museums, said a tourism department official today. Compared with destinations in the central and southern parts of the state, those in the north saw subdued interests due to eco-sensitive concerns and other related issues.

The official said the glimpse of the fort appeared during a song featuring the lead casts in the film Bombay, directed by Mani Ratnam.

Kerala also has plans to develop many such heritage monuments by collaborating with the private sector. It has put in place necessary infrastructure to promote cycling, mountaineering in the hilly areas.   

Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a tourism promotion campaign in Hyderabad, Muraleedharan P, tourist information officer in the department of tourism, said the responsible tourism approach in the state had benefited individuals and families living close to the tourist sites. Under the model, small to big hotels and restaurants are procuring essential materials from the locals. However, he said the locals were not able to fully meet them.

With the development of the UN-funded Muziris Heritage project, the state was witnessing good turnout as a meetings, incentives, conferencing, exhibitions (MICE) destination, he said.

According to the latest figures, in 2012, Kerala saw domestic tourist arrivals of 10 million from 9.3 million in 2011.International arrivals grew 7 per cent from the previous year and stood at 800,000 in 2012. Tourism revenue in 2012 came at Rs 21,000 crore and was growing at 8 per cent, Muraleedharan said.

Kasturirangan report not to affect tourism

Muraleedharan said the Kasturirangan report on Western Ghats would in no way affect the prospects of tourism, as the state had put in place eco-friendly measures and was following an inclusive approach for tourism.

He said rising land costs was a major concern for the growth of tourism.

“With a high density of population ratio and characterised urban settlements, the cost of land is quite high compared with other high-income states in the country,” he said.