KOCHI: The state government is considering acquiring land to secure permanent venues for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB) and the International Film Festival of Kerala (IFFK), Chief Minister V D Satheesan said on Thursday. He was inaugurating the 13th Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) in Kochi.
“We have a plan. Since the Biennale is Kochi’s and IFFK is Thiruvananthapuram’s, they warrant permanent venues. The government is considering acquiring permanent venues for both the events, which have been attracting tourist footfall in great numbers,” Satheesan said.
However, even as the CM revealed plans to acquire a permanent space for the Biennale, it should be noted that attempts to acquire Aspinwall House from real-estate firm DLF Ltd have fallen through multiple times. After the former LDF government’s talks with DLF to buy the property failed, the main venue of the sixth edition of the Biennale was restricted to the adjacent 1.26 acres of government land.
Meanwhile, the CM said the state is blessed with abundant forests, and plans are afoot to promote forest tourism.
To increase tourist arrivals, the state plans to boost infrastructure at ports and airports. “The government has approved the setting up of a cruise terminal at Cochin Port. Another cruise terminal will come up in Kozhikode,” he said. “In the second phase, we want to initiate a programme that will see ships sailing down the 44 rivers of Keralam,” Satheesan said.