6 months ago
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Munnar elevation station, often referred to arsenic ‘southern Kashmir’ and a fashionable destination for tourists worldwide, is presently experiencing a roadblock owed to an onslaught connected tourists, prolonged postulation delays, and insufficient basal amenities. According to District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) data, Wagamon has flooded Munnar and emerged arsenic the astir fashionable tourer accomplishment destination successful the district.
The issues astatine Munnar elevation presumption grabbed headlines aft a Mumbai-based pistillate tourer posted an Instagram video astir the ill-treatment by a radical of taxi drivers successful Munnar connected October 30. The tourer cancelled the travel and claimed she would not sojourn the elevation station.
According to tourism stakeholders, the alteration successful tourists successful Munnar was caused by attacks against tourists, hours-long postulation blocks, a deficiency of basal amenities, and exploitation of visitors. Munnar did not spot a surge of tourists this past Deepavali season, which does not bode good for the aboriginal of the tourer destination.
Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) Managing Committee subordinate Vinod Vattekkatt said that groups were arriving successful Kerala for the connected package, and Munnar and Alappuzha are the 2 must-see destinations. “When the struggle betwixt tourists and locals results successful the cancellation of full packages, it volition impact tourism successful the authorities arsenic a whole. “To acceptable up a tourism constabulary presumption successful Munnar is simply a indispensable to lick the tourism-related issues,” said Mr. Vattekkatt.
“On weekends and holidays, the large routes of Munnar, specified arsenic Munnar-Rajamala, Munnar-Pallivasal and Munnar-Mattuppetty, witnessed hours-long postulation blocks. The municipality lacks a parking facility, a autobus stand, and a toilet complex. In addition, large-scale exploitation of tourists was happening successful Munnar nether the banner of workplace tourism. It is besides severely affecting the tourism prospects successful Munnar,” said a vendor successful Munnar town.
G. Sojan, coordinator of the My Munnar Movement, an inaugural to beforehand tourism successful the elevation station, said that the authorities tin easy forestall the isolated attacks against tourists. “Swe welcomes the caller actions by the authorities,” helium said.
Munnar Deputy Superintendent of Police, S. Chandrakumar, said that the constabulary had already arrested 3 drivers for atrocious behaviour towards a pistillate tourer successful Mumbai. “The constabulary volition taxable a study to RTO to suspend their licence and permits. In addition, we volition urge cancelling the licence and permits for drivers who were progressive successful 2 specified incidents successful Munnar recently,” said the official.
Meanwhile, Munnar Tourist Taxi Association erstwhile vice president Ravi Chandran said that the drivers ever invited Munnar Hill Station. “We are intelligibly alert that tourism is the lone root of income for the radical to survive. Online ride-hailing services person affected the livelihood of hundreds of taxi drivers, and it was down the protests,” said Mr. Chandran.
Eravikulam National Park (ENP) is simply a favourite tourer destination successful Munnar. “The fig of tourists and the income generated from tourism successful ENP person been expanding each year.” “In the 2024-25 period, 5,41,944 tourists visited ENP, and successful the 2025-26 period, 5,52,627 (until November 3) visitors visited the park,” said Munnar wildlife warden K.V. Harikrishnan.
