8 tourism projects launched in Kerala
Ramping up tourism facilities state-wide with an aim at boosting the sector, hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, the Kerala government on Sunday launched 18 projects, completed at a cost of INR 40.46 crore.
The projects, inaugurated by Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran through videoconferencing, include destination development of Kovalam Phase 1 Samudra Beach park area and Grove Beach area, Kovalam at a cost of INR 9.9 crore and beautification and interlocking of Mulavilakam Footpath at Kovalam at a cost of INR 52 lakh.
In his address, the Minister said the domino effect of COVID-19 was reflected in the tourism sector and was expected to continue for some more time. But the government did not allow the pandemic to hamper the implementation of the tourism sector projects. The state government has initiated a lot of special projects for revival of the sector, where around 15 lakh people are employed dir
Lonely in Kovalam: Kerala’s tourist magnet is empty in the middle of its high season
Even though the pristine beaches in the area were reopened to visitors in phases from November 1, tourism and related activities are yet to see any noticeable uptick, locals point out. Updated: December 26, 2020 6:47:54 pm
Kovalam transformed from a sleepy fishing village to the a global tourist destination in the 1970s when it became a part of the so-called hippie trail.(Express Photo/Ralph Alex Arakal)
“This Christmas season has been the most uneventful phase since I began living here in 2011,” says Russian national Anna Birch during a regular evening stroll by the sidewalks of a beach in Kovalam, a coastal town located nearly 20 km from Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram.