Wayanad, Nov 12: Leader of the Opposition (LoP) in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi on Tuesday posted a video showing tourist places of Kerala a day after he said that he (Rahul) would help Priyanka Gandhi to make Wayanad a tourist destination.
He visited Kerala’s longest zipline located in the district at the Karapuzha dam site and was seen freely interacting with the workers of the dam site. He was accompanied by his sister Priyanka Gandhi whose fate will be decided on Wednesday when the Wayanad goes to polling.
In the video that has now gone viral, he says: “On Priyanka’s campaign trail in Wayanad yesterday, I had the chance to connect with some truly inspiring locals. Despite the recent challenges, they’re not giving up. They’ve built incredible attractions – the largest giant swing in South India, a drop tower, and a thrilling zipline all to show visitors that Wayanad is as stunning and safe as ever.
I even tried the zipline myself, and I loved every second of it.’ However, he added that the reality is tough as the recent landslide has left tourism hanging by a thread, and livelihoods are suffering from shopkeepers to homestay owners and the adventure park team, ‘everyone is working hard just to keep things going’.
Congress wrote on X that LoP Rahul Gandhi and Congress General Secretary Priyanka Gandhi had a candid interaction with some locals in Wayanad whose stories of resilience greatly inspired them.
“From the largest giant swing in South India to a thrilling zipline, the people of Wayanad have built incredible tourism and adventure spots. Despite their hardships, they continue to work hard to revitalise the local economy,” Congress wrote on X. The party added that Wayanad embodies the best of India, and both Rahul Gandhi and Priyanka Gandhi have taken on a mission to make it a top destination in Kerala.
Local Congress legislator I.C. Balakrishnan told IANS that the visit by Rahul and Priyanka has evoked a tremendous response in and around the now popular tourist destination. “He will make all efforts to promote Wayanad which has suffered the worst-ever landslide that washed away four villages.
His visit will certainly do a world of good for tourists especially after the video has gone viral,” said Balakrishnan. He added that it was worth watching how he interacted with the workers and wanted to find out every aspect of the adventure park at the Karapuzha dam site. “There was a lull after the landslide and his video will be hugely beneficial for the tourism industry,” added Balakrishnan.
IANS