Travel

Malabar looks to lure travellers with Fam 2 Malabar 500 push

Fam 2 Malabar 500 will bring 500 tour operators to 7 north Kerala districts

The Malabar region, in north Kerala, has always been a sought after destination by travellers from all over the globe. The charm that the region offers in the form of beaches, hill stations, forts and traditional festivals are often written about.

Of late, the department of tourism in Kerala is looking to welcome more travellers by way of luring top tour operators from India and abroad to attract domestic and foreign visitors to the seven northern districts of the state, which form the Malabar region.

As part of this an initiative termed ‘Fam 2 Malabar 500’ has been rolled out, which will see around 500 tour operators from India and abroad being brought to Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, Wayanad and Kasaragod districts this year to familiarise themselves with the possibilities of the region to emerge as a vibrant tourism hub.

Fam 2 Malabar 500 seen as a game changer

The initiative will help mark Malabar firmly on the global tourism map and attract domestic and international visitors to the region through the packages of tour operators, Tourism Minister Muhammed Riyas said, adding that the government will extend all support to the tour operators and the industry bodies partnering with the campaign.

The tour operators coming in different groups as part of ‘Fam 2 Malabar 500’ will be taken on familiarisation trips through the panoramic settings of north Kerala and have a hands on feel of Malabar’s history, heritage and lifestyle, especially its rich and diverse culinary traditions.

The first batch of around 70 tour operators, reaching Kannur on Monday, will be hosted by North Malabar Chamber of Commerce under a package called “Mystical Malabar”. The group would include tour and travel organisers from Mumbai, Pune, Bengaluru and Kolhapur, and they will be taken to various places of interest in Kasaragod, Kannur and Wayanad districts till January 20.

The visitors will be treated to a performance of Theyyam at Theyyakkavu at Kannur, besides other folk and martial art traditions of Malabar like Kolkali, Poorakkali, Kalarippayattu. The team will visit places like Paithalmala, Thalassery Fort, Muzhappilangadu Beach, Aralam Sanctuary, Bekel Fort and the houseboat hub of Valiyaparamba, where they will get houseboat experience.

A boost to Caravan Tourism

This initiative will also boost Kerala’s ambitious Caravan Tourism project, in which the Malabar region figures prominently. The Caravan Tourism project has elicited tremendous response within a few months of its launch. As many as 122 operators have so far applied for rolling out 236 caravans and 59 investors for setting up 87 caravan parks.

As Kerala has unveiled Caravan Tourism as a major initiative, the visiting tour operators will also get an opportunity to know the details of the caravan tourism policy and interact with stakeholders about the salient features of the project.

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Sanjeev Ramachandran

A journalist with 23 years of experience, Sanjeev has worked with reputed media houses such as Business Standard, The Ne More »
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