Bountiful rains this year have helped Kerala Tourism to showcase Wayanad district as a unique monsoon tourism destination.
This is evident from the growth registered in tourist arrivals, both domestic and foreign, to Wayanad to enjoy the rains.
The surge in tourist arrivals to the region has also helped many car rentals in the neighbouring Karnataka to eye the Kerala market in a big way. The incessant rains started attracting young tourists to Wayanad.
S. Harikishore, Director of Kerala Tourism, said Wayanad has emerged as a major tourist attraction, especially during monsoons, following the promotional activities taken up by the department in the last few years.
“The positive trend in tourist arrivals this year may be due to the earlier campaigns to promote the destination in the monsoon period,” he said
Targeting Arab tourists from West Asia, he said, Kerala Tourism this year has also taken up specific campaigns on ayurveda treatment package, considered to be a major attraction in the monsoon period. These promotions have been taken up through advertisements in airports and international gymnasiums about the potential of ayurveda treatment during the inclement weather.
Kerala Tourism has also identified 36 different festivals between June and August throughout the State as part of promoting monsoon tourism, he said.
Roy Chacko, Sales Head, Vythiri Resorts, Wayanad, said the encouraging growth in the region this year was due to school vacations in the Gulf countries. This, coupled with a good rainfall, has made Wayanad a major attraction for tourists, he said.
The three-day monsoon tourism carnival aimed at selling Wayanad as a major monsoon tourism destination had also attracted tourists, he added.
According to Gaurav Aggarwal, CEO, Savaari Car Rentals, they have been receiving many bookings for cabs to Kerala during this monsoon season. Majority of the bookings are made from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. The tourists retain the cabs for more than a day to travel around for sightseeing.
He put the rise in the number of bookings of cabs at 30-35 per cent. A good number favour hiring luxury cars for weekend gateways in and around Kerala.