No anti-nature projects: CM Pinarayi Vijayan

Kochi: The government will not allow ecologically detrimental projects and unscientific constructions in the name of promoting tourism, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan said here on Thursday. "The floods that hit the state in August is a warning that ecologically unfriendly projects will not be sustainable in the long run," he said inaugurating the 10th edition of the Kerala Travel Mart.

Stressing the importance of tourism for the overall economic development and well-being of the state, he said many tourism spots in the state were located in ecologically fragile areas. "The natural beauty of the state is one of the most important factors for the success of tourism projects," he added. 

Pledging the support of the government for tourism industry, Mr Vijayan listed the initiatives taken by the present government for the promotion of hospitality industry in the state. "The commissioning of the Kannur International Airport will provide a fillip to the tourism in the Malabar region. The government has already initiated a river-basin-based tourism project covering nine rivers in the Malabar region. Another project is to harness the unique cultural and art forms of Malabar region for the promotion of tourism," he said.

The inaugural session was preceded by a cultural show combining the ethnic, religious and artistic traditions of the state. The session was attended by Union Minister of State for Tourism Alphons Kannamthanam, state Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran, MPs, MLAs and senior officials of the tourism department.

The four-day KTM, attended by nearly 600 delegates from abroad and 1,100 domestic delegates, has been projected as an event to tell the world that Kerala has recovered from the floods. Apart from the buyer-seller meets beginning from Friday, the event will also feature a series of seminars on various aspects of the tourism industry in the state.