Explore Wayanad

Win-win situation for tourists and loss-making estates

V. Sajeev Kumar

As many as 22 estate owners owning pepper and coffee plantations have converted their property into home-stays and registered with the Wayanad Tourism Organisation.

Wayanad Jan. 24 The concept of `home stays' is gaining popularity among estate owners in Wayanad district and most of them have started converting estate houses to cash in on the potential of plantation tourism.
Wayanad Tourism Organisation, which is coordinating tourism activities in the district, is promoting the home-stay concept among estate owners in a big way. As many as 22 estate owners owning pepper and coffee plantations have converted their property into home-stays and registered with the organisation.

CATEGORISATION
They have remodelled their estate houses as per the District Tourism Promotion Council's (DTPC) regulations prior to renting it out.
DTPC has come out with several regulations following the categorisation of home-stays by the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation into A, B and C status depending upon the facilities offered.

Mr K.G. Rajesh, Managing Director of Aranyakam, one such property in Meppadi near Kalpetta, pointed out that the heavy loss in plantation crops coupled with non-availability of workers had forced estate owners to look for other avenues.
The proposal of the Kerala Tourism Department to promote Wayanad as a major tourism destination, especially for plantation tourism, encouraged the estate owners to look at home-stays as an alternative source of income.
Mr Rajesh told a visiting group of journalists from Kochi that he had converted his estate house into a luxurious home-stay facility in Kerala style in the midst of aromatic coffee and pepper plantations for tourists. Built in 4,750 sq ft, each room has its own sitting room, bedroom and bathrooms.

Idyllic setting
The house has its own kitchen, a traditional eatery with thatched roof to serve meals in the traditional way. For the more adventurous, there are fringes of reserve rain forest around the plantations, where one can go for trekking in the mountain, which overlooks the Nilambur forests.
According to Mr Rajesh, IT professionals from Bangalore are attracted to home-stays in Wayanad as they prefer a tranquil area to enjoy their holidays.
Two huts constructed in traditional pattern of tribals with thatched roof with all modern facilities and a hut on a treetop are added attractions.
There are also plans to set up more tree huts, bamboo villas, a swimming pool, eco-friendly integrated cottages, health club and conference halls and a dormitory as part of future plans, he added.