In a bid to revive tourism in Wayanad, which recently witnessed the devastating landslide, the tourism department of Kerala has reached out social media influencers from South India States to promote the erstwhile tourist hotspot and help it bounce back.
As part of the campaign, with the tagline ’Its Kerala Season’, State Tourism Minister PA Mohammed Riyas interacted with vloggers and bloggers on how to woo tourists back to the hill district, after the hospitality industry witnessed large scale booking cancellations following negative publicity.
Wayanad emerged as a top destination after aggressive campaigns by the government. Due to heavy rush, finding accomodation on weekends was difficult. However, the district lost its advantage after the landslides and the negative news that was spread, he said.
The tourism department, according to the Minister, will now organise a ‘Tribal Cultural Festival’ this year to promote tourism in Wayanad by highlighting the cultural and ethnic heritage of the place. Wayanad has a special place on the tourism map, owing to its immense possibilities for adventure tourism and balmy weather. The district was the first destination chosen for the ‘Safe Kerala’ campaign launched after the Covid -19 pandemic.
The government, since it came to power, has implemented a plan for in the district that helped attract tourists in large numbers. The authorities are now planning to conduct several campaigns to woo back travellers, he said.