Wayanad (Kerala): Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Friday said that the hill district has immense tourism potential due to its natural beauty and resources and called for a long-term roadmap to build a sustainable model of tourism here.
While calling for developing the tourism potential of Wayanad, she also cautioned that the source of that — the nature and environment — should be taken care of.
Vadra, also the MP from the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, said that the landslide that devastated Chooralmala and Mundakkai areas of the district and the images of the disaster have made people fearful of coming here.
She said that the fear has to be dispelled by showing the country and the world that the destruction happened in a limited area, the district was safe and that there was so much more to be seen and discovered in Wayanad,
“It is important for us to grow that tourism potential,” she said, after inaugurating the tourism convention of the Association of Tourism Trade Organisations India (ATTOI) held at Sultan Bathery here in the afternoon.
The Congress MP said that homestays are the backbone of the tourism industry in the district and efforts should be made to create a network of them in order to provide a strong support system for them.
Vadra also referred to the rich heritage of Wayanad, especially in its tribal areas, and said that it can be a source of experiential tourism as people travelling here from other parts of the country and the world can see, experience and learn from its heritage.
She further said that Wayanad is popular now for politics here and not as a tourism destination.
The Congress MP said that there was something for everyone here and so much to be shown to the world. At the same time, she said that when there is tourism and development, “we need to take care of the actual asset that is bringing all that to us”.
“Therefore, we need sustainable tourism,” she added.
Vadra said that “it would be a great pity” if the natural beauty of Wayanad was destroyed and urged people to be respectful towards the environment when carrying out their tourism activities.
“We are far from that (destruction of Wayanad’s natural beauty) now and I think we can emerge as a world class tourism destination. But, we need to build a sustainable model of tourism. It must involve active participation of the local communities in owning, operating and managing tourism projects,” she said.
The Congress MP further said that she believes that Wayanad will also emerge as a centre for wellness and eco-tourism.
She urged all stakeholders to work together to put Wayanad on the global tourism map once more.
