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Spice Route & Muziris Heritage Tourism Project EXTERNAL SECTOR

6.43 Muziris is an ancient port in Kerala located at Pattanam near North Paravur in Ernakulam district,
served as a key link in the spice trade with rest of the World, till it was destroyed in the 14th century
by a natural disaster. The Department of Tourism developed the Muziris Heritage Project to utilize
immense potential of the State in the Heritage tourism sector. It connects a number of museums and
historical monuments around water ways. The UNESCO showed great deal of interest in the project
and joint with the Department of Tourism for developing it into a “Spice Route Heritage Project”. The
project aims at opening new vista in the field of tourism and historical research in Kerala. The Spice
Route Heritage Project will connect almost all nodes of historical trade in Kerala, especially Malabar,
a major centre of trade in the early centuries. Kerala Tourism and UNESCO will jointly mobilise
bilateral and multilateral collaboration with countries that were part of the ancient spice trade. The
Spice Route tours will give a big spurt to foreign tourist arrivals in Kerala.

Inland Water Transport Facilities and Tourism Promotion

6.44 As part of developing Inland Water Tourism from Kollam to Kottapuram, Kerala Tourism started
its initiative to set up inland wayside infrastructure facilities through the Alappey mega tourism project.
This will be the focal point of tourist attraction to Kerala in the coming years.

Adventure Tourism

6.45 Kerala Tourism has taken the initiative to setup an Adventure Tourism Promotion Society to
introduce a new branch of tourist attraction via adventure tourism. The Government has also initiated
Kottayam Tourist Circuit which connect Elaveezhapoonchira, Ayyampara and Vagamon and they will
be the focal points of adventure tourism activities of Kerala in the beginning.

Major Arms of Government in Tourism Development

Infrastructure Development

6.46 The state government has been attaching great importance to creating infrastructure in tourism
sector. The major chunk of state allocation to tourism sector has been spent for infrastructural
projects like development of basic amenities in tourism destinations, beautifications, quality wayside
and waterside amenities, state of the art information centres, visitor lounges, infrastructure for land
and water based adventure tourism, eructing international quality Tourism signage at destinations
and en-route, tourism transportations and safety and security aspects of tourists. The major arms of
the government in infrastructure sector are

• Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC)
Building up basic infrastructure and running hotels and wayside amenity centres in almost
all tourist destinations

• Kerala Tourism Infrastructure Limited (KTIL)
Taking up joint venture projects, oversees the Land Bank Scheme and consultancy
sevice for tourism development

• Bekal Resort Development Corporation (BRDC)
Development of Bekal and surrounding tourist attractions

• District Tourism Promotion Councils (DTPCs)
Development and marketing of local products, certification of tourism products,co-ordination
of tourism clubs for preparation of host community, promotion of home stays, catalyze
clean destination campaign, creation of local basic infrastructure projects and development
of unknown destinations

Economic Review 2014