Champions Boat League to boost tourist footfall in Kerala: Tourism Secy

Kerala is banking on the innovative Champions Boat League to be held in the southern state later in September to further boost its tourism sector as a major all-season experiential destination, an official said here on Tuesday.

Modelled after the cricket IPL, the snake boat race competition is being touted by the state as a major event that it is confident of attracting a large number of tourists.

"After posting an impressive surge in domestic tourist footfall, Kerala has gained further traction as a major all-season experiential destination with its innovative products like the IPL-model Champions Boat League (CBL) races helping the southern state to scale up its standing as a highly-preferred tourist hub," Kerala Tourism secretary K Biju told reporters here.

He said that the third edition of the annual CBL, starting later in September, is expected to boost domestic footfalls in all regions of the state.

"Panned out in the backwaters across Kerala, CBL offers a rare visual treat where magnificent snake boats (Chundan Vallam), powered by scores of rowers on each boat, race over the emerald backwaters creating an aura of zest and zeal," Biju said.

He claimed that the recent trends show that Kerala has turned out to be a glamorous wedding destination.

"With the serene backwaters fringed by swaying palm trees, pristine beaches, the mystic hill stations with sprawling tea plantations, the state has become an ideal place to embark on a new beginning," Biju said.

The state's core assets like beaches, hill stations, houseboats and backwaters will heighten the totality of the visitors' experience, he added.