The Kannur international airport is the fourth International Airport in Kerala and is going to accelerate the growth of the Malabar region of Kerala in many ways. Kannur, known to be the land of looms and lores is blessed with a lot of beautiful beaches, cultural heritage, cottage industries, and multiple art forms. These distinct tourism products that Kannur has would be more accessible to the world with the opening of the Kannur International Airport.
North Kerala, often referred to as the region of Malabar has not yet been able to keep up along with central and South Kerala regarding tourism. Infrastructure, roads, and other tourism products are relatively low in Malabar. But the fact remains that Malabar is one of the most beautiful regions in Kerala, it has some of the most stunning beaches, beautiful backwaters, cuisines, history, cultural heritage and a lot more.
One of the reasons why nothing much has been happening concerning tourism for the Malabar region could be the lack of infrastructure. There are minimal places when we plan tourism circuits. For example, it is difficult to make interesting circuits where there is a limitation regarding tourism infrastructure. When driving from Kochi towards North of Kerala, after Kochi, there is no much option for accommodation except for city hotels. Wayanad has a bunch of options, Bekal & Neeleshwar has a few options, apart from that there has not been much development or exploration in the possibilities or need for tourism infrastructure.
Kannur International airport becomes a game changer for the Malabar region. Now that an airport has come up, the accessibility to multiple destinations in the area has become very easy. Many international airlines have shown interest in operating flights to Kannur, earlier people used to depend on Karipur (Kozhikode International Airport) or Mangalore Airport.
Distance from Kannur Airport Kannur International Airport to Kannur town center- 30 Kilometers Kannur International Airport to Thalassery town center- 27 Kilometers Kannur International Airport to Neeleshwar- 80 Kilometers Kannur International Airport to Bekal Fort - 100 kilometers International Airport to Beypore (Calicut) - 110 kilometers Kannur International Airport to Mananthavady (Wayanad) - 80 kilometers Kannur International Airport to Madikeri (Coorg) - 95 kilometers Kannur International Airport to Mysore - 135 kilometers
The Airport itself will catalyze the growth of the tourism sector of North Kerala. More investors will start to show interest as more tourists arrive at the airport. The Kerala model of homestays, village life experiences, and responsible tourism has endless possibilities to thrive. This will bring a lot of jobs and income possibilities for a large number of people in the region. I feel that the government will have a check on the kind of development that is going to happen. Kerala has always been focused on attracting tourists who not just appreciate the local ethos but who are responsible and eco-friendly travelers.
We have our Konkan coast tour that includes the Malabar region. Some North Kerala itineraries in the coming years would look like this.
North Kerala Itineraries after the opening of Kannuar International Airport
Kannur - Wayanad - Ooty - Mysore - Bangalore Kannur - Thalassery - Neeleshwar - Mangalore - Gokarna - Goa Kannur - Madikeri - Bekal - Mangalore Kannur - Kozhikode - Guruvayoor - Kozhikode Kannur - Madikeri - Mysore - Hassan - Bangalore Kannur - Madikeri - Mysore - Hassan - Chickmagaluru - Hampi - Goa
Quick fact - Kannur International Airport has the fourth longest runway in India
The Kannur international airport is a dream come true for the people of Malabar, after a wait of almost 22 years. This effects of the new airport are multi-dimensional and are not just limited to tourism.
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