KOCHI: The Kerala State Cooperative Tourism Federation Limited (Tourfed) has relaunched the all-in-one ‘One-day Wonder’ package that lets tourists experience Kerala through air, backwaters, rail and road travel in a single day at the cost of Rs 3,750.
The package, a hit with tourists on the look-out for a cost-effective Kerala sight-seeing experience, had to be suspended after airline companies increased their fare.
Tourfed Chairman Pazhakulam Madhu said the package, considered one of the most innovative tourism products to come out of the state, has had several bookings this season.
“The biggest attraction is the fare, which is Rs 3,750 including all transportation and food. This is not much profitable for us and a slight change in the fare would result in a loss,” he said. According to Tourfed sources, the package gained huge popularity after it was launched in 2011, but many middlemen tried to market it illegally and fleeced tourists. This led to several genuine tourists backing out.
Tourfed has also entered into a contract with KSINC for taking tourists onboard Sagara Rani on a backwater cruise, while they are in Kochi.
The government-owned agency is also offering a package that excludes air travel, which allows tourists to travel to Kochi from Thiruvananthapuram by Jana Shatabdi Express. Though there are one-day tour packages originating from Kottayam, Thrissur and Kozhikode, the biggest hit was the Thiruvananthapuram - Kochi trip.
The tour package could be managed without losses only if there are 50 people who sign-up for it in a day, Madhu said.
The one-day wonder Itinerary
The group departs from Thiruvananthapuram domestic airport at 6.30 am, reaches Nedumbassery, has breakfast from a hotel, undertakes sea cruise in Sagara Rani, proceeds to Fort Kochi/Mattancherry by bus, returns to Ernakulam South Railway Station by 5 pm to board the Jan Shatabdi Express.