The Wayanadan Monsoon is back. And again, it is time for splashing in the rains.When clouds dance in the skies, Monsoon winds blow from the seas, Gentle woods start dancing to rainy tunes, And columns of mist start fly down, Down, from heavens to meadows, Here we Wayanad Tourism Organisation (WTO) is glad to announce the second edition of Wayanad Monsoon Fest.
Exploring Colours of Monsoon
Kalpetta, July 9:
Once again Splash is here. Aiming at tapping the unique aesthetic grace of Wayanadan monsoon, the second edition of Wayanad Monsoon Tourism Carnival, organised under the auspices of Wayanad Tourism Organisation, took to a colourful start at Chandragiri Auditorium here on Friday.
The programme is organised with the cooperation of Department of Tourism, District Tourism Promotion Council and three-tier panchayats.
Delivering his inaugural address Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, minister for Home and Tourism lavished praises on Wayanad Tourism Organisation. The nature-friendly tourism concepts promoted by the organisation is ideal for Wayanad Tourism, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said. Rather than the high-end facilities, it was the charisma of nature that attracts international as well as domestic tourists to the state as well as in to the district.
“So we should recognize the importance of nature in tourism”, he said, adding that in the tourism destinations of the state only nature friendly tourism development would be allowed in future. The concept of Responsible Tourism was the result of this awareness, he said. In this tourism concept every person in the industry are responsible to nature, Kodiyeri pointed out. Kodiyeri Balakrishnan also said that any damage to nature would spell doom to the tourism industry of the state.
To ensure nature friendly construction in the prominent tourism destinations of the state the government declared Moonnar, Kovalam, Fort Kochi and Wayanad, as tourism zones where the administrative authority would decide up on the development of the region including construction of individual houses, he said. To ensure more visitors, each region should be developed in tune with its uniqueness, Kodiyeri pointed out.
Indicating an urgency in executing a master-plan for tourism development of Wayanad, R Gopalakrishnan, president Malabar Tourism Organisation said that the problem of Kerala model of tourism was that we would prepare master plan only after we loss what ever previous elements were there in Nature. He urged the government that at least in the case of Wayanad, a tourism master-plan should be implemented in advance.
District panchayat president M Devaki presided over the function. District collector T Bhaskaran, Mohandas, DGM, Federal Bank, M R Gopalakrishnan, president, Malabar Tourism Organisation, E.R. Pushpa, block panchayat president, P. A. Mohammed, director, K.S.R.T.C, K.S. Babu, president, District Sports Council, C K Saseendran, ( CPM),T Suresh Chandran (CPM) and K Sadanandan, district president, BJP were spoke in the function. Jose Kainadi, president, WTO welcomed the gathering while Ravindran Pranavam proposed a vote of thanks.
After the inaugural session noted lyricist Kaithapram Damodharan Namboothiri presented Mazhakkoru Shruthi Geetham, a musical tribute to rain. Along with his team he san many of the endearing Malayalam songs related to rain.
The musical symphony created by a group of artists including Chenda Maestro Mattannur Sankarankutti, music director S Sreeram and Prakash Ulliyeri, key board artist, was the chief attraction of the day.
Kalpetta, July 10:
Opening New Vistas of Opportunities
138 travel agents and 36 property owners participated
The Business TO Business (B to B) meet of travel agents, travel writers and property owners organised on Saturday at Chandragiri Auditorium here in connection with Splash 2010, the Wayanad Monsoon Carnival, was proved a big draw.
Representing various parts of the nation as many as 138 travel agents and 36 property owners participated in the meet. E M Najeeb, Managing Director, Air Travel Enterprises inaugurated the meet. Addressing the gathering he said that the government sponsored tourism activities were earlier restricted to the Southern Kerala. But the concerted efforts by forums of property owners like WTO changed the scenario and pulled the tourism activities to the North and interiors.
The B TO B meet would further help bridging the divide between property owners and travel agents, he pointed out.
WTO president Jose Kynadi welcomed the gathering. K R Vancheesearan, secretary, WTO anchored a presentation on the tourism potential of Wayanad.
After the inaugural session a business interaction session also was held in which property owners interacted with travel agents. The travel agents also visited the selected properties and also participated in the outdoor games items including mud football, rafting and crab catching tour.
WY OPIX CAP: Business to Business: E M Najeeb, managing director, Air-travel Enterprises group of companies inaugurating the B to B meet organised under the auspices of Wayanad Tourism Organization in connection with Wayanad Monsoon Carnival on Saturday.
The three-day carnival would begin on July 9
The first edition of the carnival in 2009 had proved in adorning the international tourism calendar with WTO signature. The carnival helped in promoting tourism industry of the district in a big way. The rain lovers across the globe gathered in this abode of greenery, to celebrate the rain carnival. They revelled in rain, enjoyed the mud football, amazed in the charm of classical art-forms and embarrassed by the rustic feel of agrarian games.
With persistent efforts of WTO, besides the efforts of Kerala Tourism -that Wayanad is one of the fastest growing tourism destinations in Kerala, a dream destination in the domestic tourism circuit. For a discerning traveller the jungle district is also acclaimed as one of the best bio-diversity destination.
The Wayanad monsoon carnival had already brought the attention of the ‘global tourism’ in to the monsoon rains of the green spot -Wayanad!. This year too and in all the years to come, we expects you amid the elite crowd -the ‘who’s who’ of ‘the tourism industry’, including tour operators, destination connoisseurs and travel-writers, to enjoy with us in the event.
WTO welcomes all. Come and be part of the rain- carnival, the prominent calendar event of Kerala Tourism Circuit.
Here the welcoming mist started caressing mountain cliffs, dales, falls and leaves, And farmers trot back to nests from fields to take a break from the toil, and to receive the guests, And when sky bless earth with eternal love of life, It is time to pack your bags to Wayanad, where the jungle meets the country–the crown on ‘God’s Own Country’, Kerala to celebrate the festival of rains.
