Kadamakudy grama panchayat has issued no-objection certificate (NOC) to a Rs. 5-crore project to be undertaken by the Ernakulam District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) to improve rural tourism at the island cluster. Generating revenue for the panchayat, the project will be carried out adhering to CRZ norms and without affecting ecology.
The village tourism project will set up infrastructure at the panchayat mainly for farm and aqua tourism. Tourists will be made to assemble at a common entry point and briefed of the facilities at the village tourism hub. They can then opt from a bouquet of tourism activities according to their choice.
Boating, angling, organic farming, village walks, cycling tours, and a mangrove trail on Charianturuth isle are some of the activities planned under the project. Walkways and benches, bio toilets, children’s park, floating restaurants, amphitheatre, food court and crafts shops will be set up at the tourist village.
For promoting farm tourism, dairy farms, fish ponds, poultry farms and horticulture units, among others, will be set up. This will give a unique experience to both domestic as well as international tourists. A coir museum to showcase the development in the industry over the ages will also be built, and a souvenir shop selling coir-related products will be attached to it. A museum with exhibits related to houseboats, and a dockyard will also be part of the tourism centre.
For adventure junkies, a host of water sports such as banana ride, skipping stones and jet ski will be arranged at the centre. A watchtower at a height of 24 m is the highlight of the proposed tourist village. As the starting point of the tourist village, the watchtower will provide a panoramic view of the group of 14 islands.