Rahul Gandhi urges people to visit Wayanad, help revive tourism there

Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Sunday urged people to visit Wayanad and experience its beauty, help to revive tourism, rebuild livelihoods and restore its vibrancy.

He stressed that while the recent landslide tragedy affected only the Mundakkai area, it has led to a misconception that all of Wayanad has been impacted, causing a sharp drop in tourism.

"Wayanad's beauty is undisputed, but it is the compassion and kindness of its people that has always drawn me to it. Today, so many of those people who rely on tourism for their livelihood are looking to you all for help," the former Congress chief said in a Facebook post.

"Let me assure you, Wayanad is still vibrant and welcoming, with its spirit unbroken. I urge you to visit and experience its beauty, helping to revive tourism, rebuild livelihoods, and restore its vibrancy," he said.

Earlier this month, Gandhi said it is imperative to make a concerted effort to revitalise tourism in Wayanad and encourage people to visit the area by dispelling the notion that it is a "dangerous" place in the aftermath of the recent landslides.

Gandhi had made the assertion during a virtual meeting with some Kerala Congress leaders and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra.

More than 200 people lost their lives in the aftermath of the worst disaster ever faced by Kerala, which has a fragile ecology along its coasts and hilly areas.

Gandhi won from two constituencies in the 2024 Lok Sabha polls but resigned from the Wayanad seat in Kerala, from where his sister Priyanka Gandhi will contest a bypoll.