umarakam: Kumarakom is one of those much sought out destinations in Kerala. And as each day goes, it is becoming a promising world class tourist hub. An occasional VIP visit boosts tourism in this village in Kottayam.
Former president Prathibha Patil, former prime minister AB Vajpayee, Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi are among the many VIPs who had enjoyed the beauty of Kumarakom. The untouched charm of the villages, the lush greens and a cruise in the backwater are the main attractions here.
How things changed
When former prime minister Vajpayee visited Kumarakom in early 2000, there were just a couple of hotels and resorts here. His Rs 420 crore Kumarakom package was widely discussed in Kerala, by the media and the masses alike. He stayed in a room beside the waters at Taj Hotel. And overnight, this this room was in great demand among many travelers from north India.
Also read: The Kumarakom you have not seen
Then and now
After Vajpayee's visit, 30 hotels including five star and five star deluxe have came up in Kumarakom. There are 260 rooms in the number one hotels alone. The other hotels, resorts and home stay add up another 900. Room rent per day ranges from Rs2,000 to 25,000.
There were eight houseboats initially. Now it's 145, with rooms up to seven. Motor boats number 120. Houseboats collect Rs5,000 to 25,000 daily. It was the Vajpayee visit that promoted home stays too
Kumarakom panchayat gets half a crore rupees from tourism every year. As per data, tourist flow to Kumarakom is on the increase every year. So, when are you going to Kumarakom?
