Tourism rides election wave in Nilambur; hotels packed

Malappuram: The tourism industry in Nilambur has been revived by the recently concluded by-election. The political leaders and party workers from all over the state have been visiting Nilambur for the election campaign and party meetings. Meanwhile, they also make sure to visit some of the major tourism spots in Nilambur before returning. The hotel rooms are completely booked for the leaders and the party workers, while restaurant owners say they must cook meals four or five times daily to meet the overwhelming demand. Although the roads, including small streets, are congested with traffic and vehicles, the commercial and business sectors in Nilambur have seen a giant leap.

Shinu Lukose, museum assistant at the Nilambur teak museum run by the forest department, says there was a significant increase in the income this time, even though visitors are usually low in June. Earlier, MLAs or MPs rarely visited the museum; now, they are regular visitors here. The party workers from other districts visit all the prominent tourism spots before leaving Nilambur after the campaign. The by-election has popularised the Nilambur tourism brand abroad too.

The Nilambur KTDC Tamarind hotel officials stated that the occupancy rate has skyrocketed to 115 per cent while it is just 30 per cent during off–season. The rooms are completely occupied all night. Besides, people from faraway places hire rooms for two or three hours just to freshen up. The restaurants and eateries have also been enjoying a great time as people explore the local cuisines. As most of the hotel rooms in the town were booked way in advance, those who came to Nilambur during the later stages of the campaign had to stay in hotels in the neighbouring panchayats. Meanwhile, those who couldn’t book hotel rooms also rented out houses.

On all nights, the campaign vehicles of all the candidates could be seen parked near the wayside eatery at Vadappuram. Workers of all political parties enjoy the delicious food together without any animosity. Vivek, who works at a local tea stall, says more people are coming to his shop to enjoy hot tea at night. Besides, articles and appreciation posts about Nilambur tourism have appeared on various social media platforms, inspiring tourists from all over the state to visit these iconic spots.