Alappuzha: Back to backwaters may cast a spell
A bike rally, photo exhibition, a house boat rally and art shows will be held as part of the programme.
Alappuzha: The backwater tourism here, which has been hit hard by the recent floods, may get a boost with a mega programme, 'Back to backwater,' being organised here on November 2.
The tourism department and the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), which are jointly organising the programme, hope to attract tourists to the backwaters of the district again through the campaign.
According to the district administration, the one-day promotional activities are meant to revive the sinking sector by sending a message that the scars of floods have disappeared. A bike rally, photo exhibition, a house boat rally and art shows will be held as part of the programme. The bike rally will begin from Alappuzha beach at 8 a.m. and end at the house boat terminal at Punnamada. An exhibition of flood-related photos will be held at the terminal at 10 a.m. Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendren will flag off a mega rally of 250 house boats and 100 shikara boats at 11 a.m. There will be an exhibition of traditional Kerala arts along with the house boat rally.
The flow of tourists here has not picked up this season. As many as 1,200 houseboats and over 200 shikhara boats are currently plying through the backwaters and Vembanad lake, but many of them have no takers.