For the residents of Kodenchery, an upland village towards the northeast part of Kozhikode, the Malabar River Festival, scheduled to be held from August 12 to 14, is not just a tourism event, but a ticket to the future.
For this village of farmers, who migrated from the southern districts of the State, placing itself in the tourism map of Kerala has become an existential necessity, especially with reverse migration.
“The decline of agriculture as a major form of livelihood has become tangible. If we have to retain this sector, the only way is to link it with tourism. We can offer unique farm experiences to the tourists through careful planning,” Alex Thomas, president of Kodenchery grama panchayat, told The Hindu.
In fact, the panchayat has joined hands with Responsible Tourism Mission (RTM) to achieve this goal and is way ahead of any other local body in the district in designing itself as a tourism-friendly village.
“Kodenchery has great potential to be a major tourism destination. Besides the picturesque waterfalls such as Thusharagiri, Pathankayam, and Arippara, the natural beauty and a climate similar to Wayanad gives farm tourism and tribal tourism potential,” Mr. Alex said.
The RTM had identified many farms in Kodenchery that could be part of the experiential tourism packages. “The tribal population here have some unique art forms as part of their heritage, which are sure to attract more tourists,” said Srikalalakshmi O.P., district coordinator of RTM.
The past seven editions of the Malabar River Festival and the International White Water Kayaking Championship has played a major role in moulding the local populace as tourist-friendly. Many houses here have been converted into home stays to accommodate the ever-increasing flow of kayakers and kayak lovers during the season. Even the local tea shops and makeshift eateries are abuzz with foreign tourists at this time of the year and the local people leave no stone unturned to make them feel welcomed. A handful of new resorts have sprung up in the region over the last few years.
“Our effort is to ensure that the local people get a steady income from tourism, so that they do not have to depend solely on agriculture. We had set the plan rolling long back, but with the Malabar River Festival, we have changed the gear to speed up the process,” the Panchayat president said, listing his plans to make it happen.
8th edition of fest
The 8th edition of the Malabar River Festival has a variety of added attractions compared to its previous editions. Apart from the kayaking competitions, arrangements have been made for river rafting for visitors. The grama panchayat is also setting up an exhibition-cum-sale of indigenous products such as honey, handicrafts, fruits, vegetables, and traditional food products made of tapioca at Pulikkayam, where the competitions will be lodged for the first two days.
