Panchayats and communities are playing an active role via STREET, a Kerala Tourism initiative, to develop spaces with tourism potential

Under a Kerala Tourism initiative of Responsible Tourism and STREET, communities spearhead activities to develop destinations with tourism possibilities, which also helps residents to be stakeholders in the process

Maravanthuruthu, a tiny panchayat, nearly 40 km from Kottayam, resembles a picturesque, pastoral scene from a Malayalam film. Flowing languidly along banks lush with tropical plants, coconut palms and flowering shrubs, the jade green Arival thodu (canal), connects two tributaries of Muvattupuzha river at Aaatuvelakkadavu and Panjipalam. Flower-laden paths lead to the stream, while a road parallel to the stream features paintings on compound walls and houses on both sides.  

Recently, Maravanthuruthu panchayat was in the news on account of the first water street and art street in Kerala, thanks to an initiative led by Kerala Tourism, which is developing a new tourism model based on community involvement.

Maravanthuruthu is one of the destinations under the Sustainable, tangible, responsible, experiential, ethnic, tourism (STREET) project of the State Tourism Department. Manchira, also in Kottayam district, Kanthallur in Idukki, Chekadi in Wayanad, Thrithala and Pattithara in Palakkad, Kadalundi in Kozhikode, Pinarayi and Ancharakkandi in Kannur, and Valiyaparamba in Kasaragod are the other places included in the first phase of STREET, which was launched in November 2021.  

The idea is to promote not-so-well-known destinations in Kerala by offering experiential trips that showcase the lifestyle, culture and food that could be specific to those places. For instance, Kanthallur, near Munnar, in the lap of the Western Ghats, is one of the places in Kerala where apples, oranges, strawberries and so on are cultivated. Clusters of residents are being formed at Kanthallur to involve the community in the project through resource mapping. Valiyaparamba is a beautiful isle, where resource mapping is on, under the leadership of the panchayat.  

Minister for Tourism PA Mohammad Riyaz states: “We want to promote places with tourism potential with the help of the community to make the plan sustainable and economically viable for the residents of those places. The STREET project envisages such places to be developed thematically, by focussing on food, adventure, water sports, handicrafts etc, which will be of interest to domestic and international tourists.”

As an example of a thematic food street, PB Nooh, Kerala Tourism Director, cites the example of coastal Vizhinjam in Thiruvananthapuram district, which, he says, has several advantages to be developed into a seafood hub. “Situated close to the beautiful shoreline are several eateries serving excellent fresh seafood. The department’s intervention could help give a facelift to make their facades look attractive. With some awareness sessions on waste disposal, maintenance of hygiene, customer relations etc, I see no reason why it cannot be one of the top go-to places in the district,” he says. 

At such places, the Tourism Department will handhold stakeholders to help them add value to their businesses and enhance the community’s income. But the community is expected to lead from the front in all places. The project, hopes the Minister, will lead to the cleaning and conservation of waterbodies and the environment, as has been the case of Maravanthuruthu.