Thiruvananthapuram: The tourism department has decided to evolve advance development plans, ‘Tourism Vision 2050’, for four major tourism destinations: Thekkady, Kumarakom, Fort Kochi and Kovalam. The plans, sources said, will re-imagine the destinations by combining culture, heritage and architecture with futuristic innovations and designs. “The vision document will depict the nature, look and footprint of the complete corridor as projected for the year 2050. The development document should also bring out clear cut development proposals, to be implemented in a phased manner to achieve the vision in 2050,” a top tourism source said.
The Fort Kochi area being considered for Vision 2050 master plan is the Mattancherry Peninsula from Thoppumpady junction to the lake edge. The Kumarakom master plan will cover the Kumarakom Panchayat area and the new tourism activity centre at Cheetunkal. The Thekkady master plan will include Thekkady, Periyar reservoir and its surroundings. The Kovalam master plan will seek to re-create the Kovalam-Poovar tourism corridor.
The master plan will be a mix of revival and creation. “On the one hand, the social, cultural and architectural soul of the area has to be retained or revived, as the case may be, and enhanced. On the other, new infrastructure, which will both attract tourists and ensure that the benefits trickle down to the local community, will have to be created,” the source said.
The end result will be to both evoke nostalgia and develop new experiences. The basic objective is to build on the Responsible Tourism agenda. “Tourism is becoming more immersive. Mere cosmetic approach will not work anymore,” the source said. The Department will invite bids for the preparation of the Vision 2050 master plans. The brief would be: A tourism vision that bridges the past, present and future in themes and images, and is reflective of the natural, cultural and historic qualities of the place.
