Kochi: Kochi’s renowned beaches are fast losing their sheen with the once favourite destinations of foreign travelers now overcome with issues like lack of cleanliness and have even become shorter. Now the Kerala Tourism department has embarked on a project to “clean” and make ten tourist destinations in Ernakulam district, mostly beaches, “attractable”.
“The main aim is to make the destinations come back on top of the preference chart of tourists. The focus will be given to Fort Kochi beach along with Kuzhupilly and Cherai. We are developing Fort Kochi as a heritage town besides making it a clean destination. A proposal has been submitted. The aim is to raise the beaches to international standards with adequate facilities,” said Thomas Korah, Regional Joint Director, Kerala Tourism.
The official on Monday met Finance Minister Thomas Issac with a plea to provide funds for the initiative outside the usual budgetary allocation. “The minister replied in the positive,” he said. The tourism industry is facing a tough challenge from Sri Lanka with tourist arrivals dipping over the years. Sources attributed the untidy beaches as one of the main factors for this.
“The beaches like the one at Fort Kochi are getting shorter every year. Tourists want long beaches to relish and to enjoy sunbathing. The programme will address this issue too by making beaches longer wherever possible through various methods like building a seawall,” an official said. The works are now targeted to be launched by November 1 and will be carried out by involving volunteer groups such as NCC.
The initiative is in addition to the plan by the District Tourism Promotion Council to form a beach circuit in the district by linking nine beaches under its jurisdiction that come under the Vypeen Assembly constituency whose potential is yet to be fully tapped. The beaches to be connected are Puthuvype, Chappa, Njarakkal, Nayarambalam, Chathanad, Kuzhippilli, Raktheswari, Munambam and Cherayi.
