ALAPPUZHA: Within seven months of its launch, the budget tour packages of Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) have become a big hit. The cash-strapped corporation has operated more than 1,400 trips and got an income of more than `5.5 crore in the period.The corporation is planning to introduce such tourism services across the state and has appointed coordinators in all districts.
N K Jacob Sam Lopez, chief traffic manager of KSRTC Budget Tourism Cell (BTC), said the corporation has gained a reasonable revenue from the services and people are being attracted to the services. “Now, domestic tourists are approaching the corporation. We are planning to attract tourists from other states and abroad as well. The availability of buses is a problem to conduct more services. So, we are planning to take private buses on lease for the services,” he said.
“Now the corporation is conducting services connecting various hill stations and tourism spots in the state. Most of the them are one-day tours costing approximately `1,000 per person, including food,” said Prasanth V, state coordinator of BTC.
The corporation is organising tours in association with the tourism and forest and wildlife departments to Munnar, Malakkappara, Nelliampathy, Munroethuruthu and Munnar-Wagamon, besides trips for Wayanad Jungle Safari, Kochi Sagararani, Kothamangalam Jungle Safari and in and around Alappuzha.
Alappuzha district coordinator Shafeeq Ibrahim said 91 trips have been arranged from various depots in the district so far. “As many as 28 trips have been arranged from Haripad depot — the highest — followed by Mavelikkara, Alappuzha, Kayamkulam, Cherthala and Chengannur depots. Major destinations from Alappuzha are Malakkappara (Thrissur), Arippa (Kollam), Munnar, Munroethuruthu (Kollam), Bhoothathankettu (Ernakulam), Inchathotty (Ernakulam), Wonderla amusement park (Kochi), and Sagar Rani in Kochi including the travel in sea on Nefertiti, a cruiseliner of Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation. We are also planning to start pilgrimage tourism connecting various centres of the district. In addition, packages connecting places like Thrikunnappuzha lighthouse and beach, Pallana Kumaran Asan Memorial, Krishnapuram Palace and R Shankar Memorial Cartoon Museum at Krishnapuram are also being planned. Hence, we plan to conduct monsoon trips for them as they have comparatively more free time during the season,” Shafeeq said.