KANNUR
P.A. Mohammad Riyas, Minister for Public Works and Tourism, said here on Monday that the maintenance of tourism centres in the State should be taken up as a major responsibility. He was inaugurating the renovated sea pathway and Sea View Park near the Kannur government guest house. Mr. Riyas said that there were many new tourism destinations coming up in Kerala but there were shortcomings in the maintenance of the existing ones. Therefore, maintenance should be taken as the main responsibility, he said. The government had brought about a big change in the tourism sector. Although COVID-19 had affected the sector, the Tourism Department was moving ahead by facing up to the challenge. The sea pathway and Seaview Park were renovated by the State Tourism Department through the District Tourism Promotion Council at a cost of ₹50 lakh.
A new ticket counter, toilet block, kiosk, sculptures, lights, and play equipment are part of the renovation works. The ticket rates for entry into the park are ₹20 for adults and ₹10 for children aged 6 to 12. Admission is free for children under the age of six. Admission will be free for all on March 8 and 9 to coincide with Women’s Day. The park is open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
‘Northern Lights’ launched
Mr. Riyas, who also visited Kasaragod, launched “Northern Lights - Bekal Tourism Mission 2022”, a year-long programme of Bekal Resorts Development Corporation Limited (BRDC). The aim of the programme is to promote north Malabar as a tourism destination As part of this, the Minister flagged off the first caravan of Kasaragod district, “Clapout Caravan’, to boost caravan tourism in the district. Mr. Riyas said that 330 caravans had been registered in the State and over 100 caravan parks were on the anvil. The government was expecting a surge in tourist inflow after the pandemic. A familiarisation visit of tour operators from outside Kerala to north Kerala was also flagged off and a website of Bekal Tourism Organisation was launched at the function held at Bekal Club in Kanhangad.
