Kerala beckons

A trip down the backwaters of Kerala is a sublime and rewarding experience that one must never miss in a lifetime

Kerala, with its placid beaches, lush greenery and pristine backwaters has always been irresistible. There are numerous resorts along the backwaters of Kerala that offer tourists an enchanting experience of God’s own country. 

What is it about Kerala that attract tourists from across the country and abroad? A P Anil Kumar, minister for Tourism, himself vouches for the fact that backwaters holds the best experience for tourists coming to Kerala. Backwaters have been immensely promoted by the Kerala Government and although the state is quite new to the tourism sector, it has a lot of natural bounty to showcase in terms of its beaches, greenery, hill stations, backwaters and so on.

Besides, the backwaters offer the visitors a host of activities like bird watching, sight seeing, relaxation and mouth-watering cuisines. He is sure that the backwaters will continue to be the best experience for tourists coming to Kerala. “Through constantly reinventing its products, exploring new ideas and mediums for marketing, Kerala Tourism attracts people from across the world and retain its unique positioning among global tourist destinations,” he says. 

According to P M Ali Asgar Pasha, managing director, KTDC, backwater tourism is the most promoted aspect of tourism by the government and Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC).  Backwaters is a natural phenomenon that is unique to Kerala alone and has a huge potential to attract tourists both domestic and foreign to the tropical paradise,” says Pasha.

Houseboat experience

The backwaters of Kerala is best experienced on a houseboat or a kettuvallam. A cruise on a houseboat along the backwaters of Kerala is an unforgettable experience and should never be missed. For Asa Abraham, head, PR and communications, Kumarakom Lake Resort, houseboats are a major attraction of Kerala’s backwaters. “It is exclusive, of excellent quality and a unique experience in itself, attracting people from within the state, as well as other parts of the country and abroad,” says Abraham. 

The backwaters of Kerala is best experienced on a cruise down Vembanad lake in Kumarakom. In fact, Kerala tourism first implemented its Responsible Tourism project at Kumarakom incorporating the local people. While there, a visit to the bird sanctuary is a must for tourists as well as a boat ride on Vembanad lake. Kumarakom village has got a rich expanse of mangrove forests, paddy fields and coconut groves. 

“Be it a one day cruise on a small houseboat or an overnight stay in a fully air-conditioned luxury houseboats, it is the ultimate experience of a lifetime,” says Noida based IT professional Aditya, who plans to visit Kerala soon with his family. While most backwater resorts offer sunset cruise to its tourists along the backwaters, some even offer a canal cruise along the inner canals of Kumarakom. 

It therefore comes as no surprise that the print campaign of Kerala Tourism titled, “The Great Backwaters", that presents the state's famous water bodies as a single destination won the ITB-Berlin's Golden City Gate Gold Award in Germany last year.

The future looks bright for Kerala tourism as it continues to charm people from across the world. The latest figures show that while the domestic tourist arrivals have grown to 1.17 crores with increase of 7.6% over last year, international tourist arrivals have grown from 8.58 lakh tourists to 9.23 lakhs. And the total income generated by the industry grew to 24885 crores, showing an increase of 12.11%. So, what are you waiting for? The backwaters beckon you. Come and experience it!