Lack of access to information, accommodation, public facilities, sightseeing tour arrangements, pollution, traffic congestion, Language barrier and poor hygiene are some of the problems faced by tourists in Munnar.
Most of the tourists to the hill station, which is rated as one of the best in Asia, are not able to find accommodation suited to their purse. According to a survey carried out for Kerala Tourism as part of preparing a master plan for the Munnar special Tourist zone.
The study says the majority of tourists prefer medium-class accommodation, but facilities in that class are few.
About 92 percent of foreign tourists prefer home stays as they offer homemade food and privacy. Another reason for high demand for home-stays among foreigners is the non-availability of hotels suiting them and to understand the local culture and food habits.The majority of tourists (34 percent) prefer medium class hotels. The entire tourism zone comprising Munnar, Devikulam,Pallivasal, Chinnakkanal, Kanthaloor and Vattaavada panchayats has 136 classified hotels and 98 home stays. The total bed capacity of hotels is 5,288 and that of home-stays 1,020.
Lack of parking lots and narrow roads are the other major difficulties faced by tourists. Parking space is insufficient and this often leads to traffic congestion. The proposed eco-township at Devikulam has been mooted as part of the effort to address the issues confronting Munnar in a planned and cordial way so as to ensure a solution as sustainability principles.
In the survey, it was revealed that 63 percent of tourists had an itinerary covering north Kerala and Munnar. Thirty one percent of domestic tourists were visiting Munnar as part of Kerala tour. Nineteen percent of foreign tourists were from Sweden followed by those from Austria and Germany.16 percent of the tourists were honeymooners. Among the tourists, 83 percent were visiting the hill station for the first time.
Prof.John Kurakar
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