The Sargaalaya Arts and Crafts Village at Iringal near Vadakara in Kozhikode. | Photo Credit: file photo

Plan to develop cultural tourism circuit around Sargaalaya gets Central nod

A sum of ₹95.34 crore sanctioned for Sargaalaya Global Gateway to Malabar Cultural Crucible project to boost sustainable tourism in north Kerala

by · The Hindu

The Union government sanctioning funds for the Sargaalaya Global Gateway to Malabar Cultural Crucible project is expected to boost the efforts of the State Tourism department to transform the north Kerala region into a sustainable tourism destination.

The Centre has approved ₹95.34 crore for the plan, which has been included in the ‘Development of Iconic Tourist Centres to Global Scale’ project. Along with this, ₹59.71 crore has been sanctioned for the Kollam Biodiversity and Recreational Hub. Officials have been told to prepare a time-frame for completing them on time, says a release from the office of Minister for Tourism P.A. Mohamed Riyas.

Official sources say that the Sargaalaya Arts and Crafts Village, spread across 20 acres at Iringal near Vadakara, could be developed as a cultural centre. As part of the project, many cultural circuits that extend up to Beypore have been proposed. They include exploring the potential of martial arts such as Kalaripayattu. There are also plans to launch campaigns related to food tourism and literary tourism as well.

Empowering local communities

According to sources in the plan is to celebrate the rich heritage of the region along with empowering local communities. They say that the project aims to alleviate the pressure on overburdened areas by strategically diverting tourism to adjacent regions, thereby promoting balanced tourism development across Kerala. The rise in the number of visitors to Wayanad was also kept in mind while projecting it as a necessary extension.

The objectives are to leverage Malabar’s unique cultural assets to create a distinctive tourism product, preserve and promote traditional arts, crafts, and performances, generate employment and economic opportunities for local communities, position Kerala as a leader in sustainable and experiential tourism, and contribute to India’s goal of becoming a top global tourism destination, the sources say.

A detailed project report prepared by the department claims that it is poised to generate significant employment opportunities, both directly and indirectly, thereby contributing to the economic upliftment of the local community. With a total estimated investment of ₹100 crore spread across ten key sectors, the project aims to create around 200 direct jobs and around 1,000 indirect jobs.

Published - November 28, 2024 08:31 pm IST