The newly opened Kannur International Airport has brought smiles to Karnataka’s bordering district of Kodagu.

The closest airport from Madikeri, Gonikoppal, and Kushalnagar is Kannur, and tourism stakeholders are hoping that the new airport may prove a big advantage for tourist footfall in the coffee land.

Kushalnagar, a commercial town surrounded by tourism hotspots, is around 100 km from Kannur, while Madikeri and Gonikoppal are about 95 km and 55 km, respectively, from the Kerala city.

“Certainly, the airport will benefit Kodagu, both in terms of business and tourism. Whether the benefit will be felt immediately has to be seen. But, tourists travelling by road from Bengaluru airport may prefer Kannur airport to reach Kodagu,” said Kodagu Hotels, Resorts and Restaurants’ Association president Nagendra Prasad.

He, however, said the road linking Kannur and Madikeri should be developed within the State limits since the route till Kerala–Karnataka border from Kannur is a four-lane road. The Karnataka government should take immediate steps to develop the single-lane road till the border to facilitate tourist arrivals, Mr. Prasad urged. While the journey by road from Bengaluru to Madikeri takes about five hours, the route from Kannur to Kodagu is less than two hours.

Mysuru Travel Mart president B.S. Prashanth said the airport would open a new gateway for tourism developmentand eventually improve connectivity between the two States, thereby boosting tourism.

People flying to Kannur need not have to bother about traffic to reach their destination — Madikeri — unlike from Bengaluru, according to Mr. Prashanth as during weekends and holidays, the Mysuru–Bengaluru highway witnesses bumper-to-bumper traffic.

The new airport may also open a new route for tourists visiting Wayanad and Ooty — the other two popular destinations in south India.

source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> News> States> Karnataka / by Shankar Bennur / Mysuru – December 15th, 2018