Beaches take a beating

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:With its sparkling peacock-blue waters and pristine beaches, the largely unexploited 580km-long coastline of the state that wedges between the Western Ghats on the East and the Arabian Sea on the West, has always been an attraction for holiday revellers,  both domestic and foreign.

However, beach tourism is still in its infancy in the state, except for a few like Kovalam and
Varkala in South, Fort Kochi and Cherai beaches in Central Kerala and Muzhappilangad drive-in beach and Bekal in North.  

However, statistics available with the Tourism Directorate show that things are not so rosy for beaches in Thiruvananthapuram.Even after a considerable increase in the flow of pilgrims to the Padmanabhaswamy Temple, which pushed up footfalls in Thiruvananthapuram city to 12,17,446 in 2017 (registering a growth of 18.63 per cent over 2016), Kovalam, which was the prime destination of international tourist till 2015, has been losing its charm in 2016 and 2017 over Kochi.  

The growth rate of Kovalam was just five per cent in the last five years. On the other hand, there is a significant increase in the number of foreign tourists visiting Kochi city, Fort Kochi and Maradu, at 43.89 per cent growth over the last five years.

The only relief for Thiruvananthapuram is beach destinations like Varkala and Poovar which showed a significant growth during this period. Varkala registered a growth rate of 130.02 percent in the last five years with the total foreign footfall in Varkala zooming to 1, 33,658 in 2017.

However, the situation in emerging Varkala is not boding well as the beach is not well maintained. The traders in the vicinity have been dumping waste, including plastic bottles, in the coastline. The laterite cliffs facing the sea is not well protected, with portions of the cliff dangerously protruding onto the beach,  posing threat to the free movement of tourists.

Further, the roads inside the beach are not well maintained with tourists having to risk their lives to get from one side to the other. KTDC chairman M Vijayakumar told Express that they have  conceived a project aimed at giving a facelift to the major beaches in the state, including Bekal and Muzhappilangad, under a KIFB-funded initiative.

The beaches in the Southern tip of the state will also be included in the project. A senior officer in the Tourism Directorate said: “Kovalam has almost reached its optimum point and we have to seek new ways to keep the momentum of tourists to this famed destination in the coming days”.

Kochi preferred location for tourists
Both foreign and domestic tourists preferred Kochi city as the prime destination. With respect to foreign tourist arrivals, Kovalam came second and Varkala third. The fourth most preferred location was Fort Kochi, while the fifth slot went to Thiruvananthapuram city, sixth to Alappuzha, seventh to Maradu in Ernakulam, eighth to Kumarakom, ninth to Munnar and the tenth slot was taken up by Thekkady. Foreign travelers showed a liking for hotels and other accommodation units in Kochi city while they toured Kerala.

For Beach bums
For tourists who are seaward bound this summer, there some beach spots in Thiruvananthapuram which still doing well

Kovalam:  the famous crescent-shaped three beaches with great names – Lighthouse Beach, Samudra Beach & Hawah Beach

Varkala Beach: A well-known quietest beach. Evening sunsets on the backdrop of red laterite cliffs overlooking the Papanasam Beach and the Arabian Sea are a sight to behold.

Poovar Beach: An isolated but striking beach with an estuary away from the hustle and bustle of the city dotted with green coconut palms and backwaters as well as a lake.

Shanghumugham Beach: A beach located hardly 8kms away from the city and is the most adjacent beach to the Thiruvananthapuram airport

Nellikunnu Beach: A small beach situated between Vilinjam and Chowara dotted with cottages at resorts