KANNUR
In an attempt to attract tourists to lesser-known areas of North Malabar and to encourage local people to become a part of the tourist activities, the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) is organising an angling championship at Ezhome in Kannur on Sunday.
K.K. Jijesh, secretary, DTPC, said there are many small places in Kannur, which have a huge tourism potential, but are untapped. By organising the angling competition, the department plans to attract people and tourists from various places to explore the unexplored locations in the district.
The championship has already gained much attention with over 140 persons from the State and other parts of the country have registered to participate in the event. There was not much of publicity but still many who got to know through the website and other social media, have come forward to register by paying ₹1,000, he said. “Given the fact that we are conducting the championship for the first time, the response is quite positive. We are assuming that it is only going to get more popular with the participation of people from outside the State and even the country,” Mr. Jijesh opined.
The competition at Ezhome was considered apt as it is a beautiful location and has a good wealth of fish varieties to catch. Angling is common in the State, but it requires patience. The competition will only spice up the event, he said.
Mr. Jijesh said that even though there is heavy rain, the competition will be held as it was decided. It will start at 10 a.m. and conclude at 4 p.m. The winner will get a purse of ₹50,000, while the runners-up will get ₹25,000 and people coming third and fourth will be given fishing tackles. Those interested in participating in the competition should register their names online at https://dtpckannur.com/angling.
He said DTPC organises various events every month as part of the Kannur tourism calendar. Last month, the 11-km National Kayaking Championship from Parassinikkadavu to Azhikal Port attracted a large number of people. Besides spending time in the backwaters, they were able to enjoy the climate, mangrove, and local hospitality.
Many tour operators have visited the places in Kannur and Kasaragod in recent months and there has been an increase in the number of enquiries by domestic and foreign tourists, Mr. Jijesh said.
