TOURISM INDIA MARCH 2019 Tourism India January 2019 IA | Page 19

Smile ambassadors tour by Association of Tourism Trade Organisation India (ATTOI)
delegates at Bekal
BRDC WITH NEW EXPERIENTIAL
TOURISM STRATEGY
hard laterite hills. Adventure-lovers
entering these labyrinthine Suranga’s
will get a rare opportunity to literally
experience Mother Earth at close
quarters. Claustrophobes will be
advised to maintain a safe distance but
they will yet be able to appreciate the
ingenuity of the unlettered and ancient
inhabitants of this area.
Another interesting destination
was a tribal colony called ‘Pattala’
situated at Banam near Nileshwaram
where Malavettuvar tribe received the
guests with a tribal dance - Mangalam
Kali. Little girls in traditional attires
excitedly showcased a charming
performance of what was once a
nuptial dance.
The zig-zag roads then led to
The Bekal Resorts Tourism Development Corporation (BRDC) is
conceptualising new strategies to draw tourists to North Malabar,
with the involvement of small and medium Tourism entrepreneurs.
The Corporation conducted a four-day tour for the tour operators in
Kasaragod and Kannur districts, with this aim in view.
The BRDC hosted this Small and Medium Industries Leveraging
Experiential (SMiLE) Ambassadors’ Tour programme to facilitate a
linkage among the 93 SMiLE tourism entrepreneurs in the region
and the leading tour operators in 40-odd nations who were involved
in the tour.
The guests got a chance to discover the unexplored gems of Kasaragod
and also experience the unique art forms of North Malabar.
a recently found Natural Cave at
Koovappara. Watching the performance
of Alamikali, an indigenous tribal
art form of Kasaragod, turned out to
be a unique experience. Originally
performed by ‘Alamis’, the soldiers
of Tipu’s army to commemorate the
Karbala war, a vital event in the history
of Islam, today it stands as a proud
testimony to the spirit of religious
harmony in the region. Theyyam
performances were also conducted as
part of the event.
A visit to the recently opened Kannur
International Airport marked the end of
this excellent experiential tour.
January 2019 Tourism India
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