“We Will Focus On The Malabar Region In Future”

P Sankaran, the new minister for tourism, Kerala, took charge on February 11, 2004. In conversation with Reema Sisodia, he highlights his formula to further strengthen the position of Kerala as a tourism hotspot both nationally and internationally

The success of Kerala tourism needs no introduction. It is a state which has proved its consistency with respect to tourism performance and popularity. As the recent entrant in the Kerala tourism fold, I have definite plans in place to further strengthen the position of the state as the number one tourism destination in India.

I, along with my team, aim to focus our attention on the further development and beautification of the Malabar region. Apart from this, special plans have been drafted towards the development of Cochin and its surrounding areas. Kozhikode area development is also underway. The area has a lot of potential for tourism development. The Malamppuzha Dam area is also marked for development and beautification. Further, setting up of a boat terminal at Chertala has also been conceptualised. There are few famous temples which are also slotted for beautification around the backwaters region.

Bekal Resort Development Corporation Ltd is yet another special unit that has taken the initiative of developing the region. The corporation consists of board of directors that is working on developing international standard beach tourism. Eco-tourism initiatives are also being planned earnestly in the region. Working on concepts such as village tourism and further promoting Kerala as a promising destination for medical tourism both in the national and the international market is the future objecvtive. Kerala tourism has its plans firmly in place and we are making every effort to develop the state further.