Tourism season is here. But how ready is Alappuzha?

It's time for yet another tourist season in Alappuzha. And the steady flow of visitors to the backwaters have begun. But the district which is known for its backwater tourism still lacks basic facilities to offer a wholesome experience for the tourists.

Many tourism projects including the Alappuzha Mega Tourism Circuit are lagging and is nowhere near completion. The District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) cannot effectively envisage a new tourism prospect by smartly linking the small-scale tourist destinations and heritage sites to make the visitors stay back after the houseboat ride which is the main attraction that lures tourists to the district.

The tourist season kickstarts here during the Navratri holidays in North India. This season the number of houseboat bookings from Maharashtra has dropped significantly supposedly due to the various natural calamities that have stricken the state. However, the bookings from Tamil Nadu are expected to go up this year. In Kerala, the visitors from Malappuram, Kannur, Kasaragod, and Thrissur are likely to reach Alappuzha to enjoy houseboat rides during the holidays.

The authorities are not so keen to coordinate a tourism package which could capture the interest of the visitors other than the quintessential houseboat rides which the district is famous for. The various projects under the Alappuzha Mega Tourism Circuit Project with an overwhelming budget of Rs 52.25 crore are only halfway through. Though beautiful statues and figurines are built on the banks of Vada Canal and Vanijya Canal in Alappuzha town to pull crowds, the authorities don’t even have the time to officially inaugurate and open it to the public.

The projects under the Mega Tourism Circuit which are yet to be completed are the houseboat terminals at Arookutty, Thaneermukkam, Pallathuruthy, Nedumudy, Kanjipadam, and Kayamkulam. The proposal to build a night halt for the houseboats at Karumadi, Lake Tourism Centers, Vayyanakarachira, Pandi, Thazhupu, and Kuthiravattomchira is not ready yet. The prospects of exploring the beach tourism options at Arthunkal and Thottapally.

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