THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Thanks to the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election, the struggling homestays and resort owners have reaped good business following the twin landslides at Chooralmala and Mundakkai.
The leaders and party workers belonging to all the three mainstream political parties who camped in Wayanad for campaigning over the last one month stayed in hotels, homestays and resorts. But those hotels, homestays and resorts situated in the interiors of Wayanad have not thrived from the loss due to the landslides that wrecked the district.
With 420 fatalities occurring in the Wayanad landslides which occurred on July 30, there was a general perception that the hilly district is no longer safe to travel. The hospitality industry felt the heat for the next three months with almost zero reservations.
Muhammed Salif, general manager (sales and marketing), of Vistara lake resort told TNIE that it was tough for the first three months following the twin landslides. “The tourism season has since started in Wayanad from October onwards. The Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election has triggered interest in terms of business. The fear factor among the tourists that Wayanad is not safe to travel has since been changed. There are more enquiries for the coming months which has given a fillip to the hospitality industry”, he added.
The presence of AICC general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra as the by-election candidate in Wayanad triggered a nationwide interest in her debut electoral battle. The most number of leaders and party workers that came to help Priyanka in her campaign were from Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Uttar Pradesh. For fear of the wrath of the Election Commission of India observers, the majority of these outstation leaders and party workers coughed up money towards their accommodation from their own pockets.
The arrival of the Gandhi – Nehru scion has evolved into election tourism
If Wayanad is considered as a popular hill station and pilgrimage tourism destination, the arrival of the Gandhi – Nehru scion, Priyanka, has evolved into “election tourism”. UDF convener M M Hassan told TNIE that Priyanka has lots of ideas to give the battered hospitality industry a stimulus.
“I had campaigned in Wayanad for six days. The changes I witnessed there is a matter of immense satisfaction as the hotel, homestays and resorts have picked up their businesses. Several resorts and home-stays which were locked up following zero businesses have since made up their lost businesses. Priyanka’s presence in Wayanad is only expected to generate further business in the days ahead”, said Hassan.
Former Wayanad MP, Rahul Gandhi also ensured that his travel in the zip line near Karapuzha Dam along with Priyanka’s son, Raihan Vadra, will only convey a positive message to the outside world on what’s in store for the tourists there.
Rahul Gandhi quipped, “There’s no problem in Wayanad. The landslide was a localized event, so tourism must not be damaged”. Since Priyanka was wearing a sari, she shied away from tagging along with her brother and son in the zip line.
“One huge effect of the landslide is on Wayanad tourism which is unjustified in the sense as it happened in a very restricted area. Wayanad actually has a huge area, a very, very beautiful, natural landscape and many beautiful things too. People should come, they would just love it”, said Priyanka.
Jibran Asif, director (sales and marketing), Abad Brookside, told TNIE that his two resorts in Lakkidi and Mananthawady did not get good business post the festive season of Pooja and Diwali holidays.
“Wayanad tourism had been looking really bleak after the twin landslides. It was the hill stations which had been badly affected. Since our properties were not in the mainstream region and in the interiors, we actually did not get good business due to the Wayanad Lok Sabha by-election. But we’re hopeful of catching up with the business in the days to come due to the tourism season”, said Jibran.
He also added that whatever little business they did during the last few days was from tourists from other South Indian states.
