Express News Service
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In six months, the serene beach at Shankhumukham will become a popular vacation spot in Thiruvananthapuram, the perfect place to crash. The Ministry of Tourism plans to renovate Mothuchibe Park near the beach as a wedding venue.
This initiative comes on the heels of the Tourism Ministry’s ‘Destination Wedding’ campaign which aims to attract future spouses from across the world by promoting Kerala as an ideal destination for tying the knot.
“The project will start immediately and be completed within six months,” Sharon Vettel, secretary of the local Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), told TNIE. He said that the work order will be issued shortly after obtaining the approval of the district collector. This is the first time in Kerala that such an initiative is being planned in the public sector.
The project will be implemented on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) model for an estimated Rs 3 crore. Sharon said that they do not plan to use public funds to implement the project. “Our aim is to revive unused properties and bring them up to international standards without compromising on quality.
We have finalized the agency through the Quality and Cost Based Selection (QCBS) method after the evaluation of the financial and technical bid by our technical committee, adding that the plan is to build an amphitheater that can accommodate about 300 people, which would be ideal for weddings and parties.
“We are also planning a café overlooking the sea, and augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) areas. The project is being planned in a way that does not involve laborious construction. The majority of the construction will be temporary and environmentally friendly. We aim to give the destination an international touch,” said Sharon. The executing agency of the project agreed to pay an annual rent of Rs 12.5 lakh to DTPC.
The authorities are also planning to start water sports, including water skiing and speed boat rides, at Shankhumugham Beach. The Ministry of Tourism has launched aggressive marketing campaigns to promote Kerala as an ideal wedding destination. Digital campaigns have already been launched.
A micro-website (a brand website or a single web page) will be launched on the Kerala tourism website for destination weddings,” said a senior official in the marketing wing of the department.