Wayanad is a beautiful destination, tourism must be revived, says Rahul Gandhi a month after the tragic landslides

Congress' Rahul Gandhi on September 1 said that tourism will help rebuild Wayanad after the tragic landslides on July 30 devastated the hill station and claimed nearly 200 lives. The Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha stressed that there was an urgent need to revive tourism in Wayanad and counter the perception that the hill station is a “dangerous” place.

Gandhi made these remarks during a virtual meeting with Kerala Congress leaders and Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra. In a post on X, accompanied by a video clip from the online discussion on relief and reconstruction measures, Gandhi pointed out that Wayanad is gradually recovering from the impact of the landslides.

“While there is still a lot of work ahead, it is encouraging to see communities and organisations coming together to take relief measures,” Gandhi said, according to PTI. He stressed the importance of promoting tourism to help Wayanad rebuild and urged that once the rains stop, the focus should be on reviving the tourism sector and attracting visitors.

Wayanad is slowly recovering from the devastation caused by the tragic landslides. While much work remains to be done, it is encouraging to see people from all communities and organizations coming together in the relief effort.

There is one crucial aspect that I would like to highlight… pic.twitter.com/KQZnOFUv3l

— Rahul Gandhi (@RahulGandhi) 1 September 2024

He clarified that the landslides had affected only a certain part of Wayanad and not the entire region. “Wayanad remains a beautiful destination and will soon be ready to welcome tourists from across India and beyond,” Gandhi said.

He also stressed that the myth that Wayanad is unsafe must be dispelled as such notions could harm the tourism industry. “We need to address several key issues: improve inter-departmental coordination in relief, increase compensation, resolve rental issues, support those who have lost their livelihoods and mitigate the impact on tourism,” Gandhi added.

The latest disaster has claimed over 200 lives in Kerala, known for its fragile coastal and hill ecosystems. Gandhi, who was elected from two constituencies in the Lok Sabha elections, resigned from the Wayanad seat, which will now be contested by his sister Priyanka Gandhi in an upcoming by-election.

With inputs from PTI.