Tourism Minister A.P. Anilkumar has said that plans are afoot to start airstrips in Kasaragod and Wayanad for improving connectivity to draw more domestic and foreign tourists to tourism destinations in the region.

Speaking at a meet-the-press programme held at the Press Club at Kannur on Saturday, the Minister said that the works for developing the proposed airstrip in Kasaragod were expected to begin in the current financial year itself. The government possessed a 60-acre land located 12 kms away from Bekal, he said adding that steps were on to acquire additional 40 acres as 100 acres were required for developing the airstrip. Ten places have been identified in Wayanad for the proposed airstrip there, he disclosed.

Mr. Anilkumar said that lack of connectivity including good road infrastructure was the major hurdle in the way of projects aimed at attracting more tourists to the Malabar region. Though the region has high potential for tourism development, the tourism sector here had not recorded growth comparable to the tourism growth elsewhere in the State, he said adding that the number of tourists reaching the Malabar region accounted for only 20 per cent of the tourist arrival in the State.

Assuring that the government would give special consideration for the development of tourism destinations in the Malabar region, the Thalassery heritage tourism project launched by the previous government would be given top priority. He said that the works under the project that were already secured administrative sanction would be started soon.

Equally important were the beaches in the region which could not be utilised fully for attracting the tourists, he said. Lack of road connectivity to the beaches being a major obstacle to their development, efforts would be taken to develop roads to the beach destinations, he said adding that steps were also under way to complete the Bekal tourism project, he added.

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