Express News Service
KOCHI: Those in the tourism industry rue the slowdown in the arrival of foreign tourists to the state. However, one homestay owner from Kannur seems to be attracting a lot of attention among foreign tourists through his innovative packages based on responsible tourism. E K Harris, the owner of Harris Beach Home in Kannur, is booked full for the next two months too. He has come up with various innovative packages that provide the tourists coming to his place with the real village experience. The latest package that he has launched is called the Village Food Experience package.
“It involves taking the group of tourists right into the kitchen of the locals and getting them to experience the cooking style endemic to the place,” said Harris, who essentially is a textile shop owner but came into the homestay venture quite accidentally. “The real Kerala can’t be experienced in the cities. And what the tourists who come to our state want is to experience the real Kerala,” said Harris adding once you give them the original taste of Kerala culture, cuisine and traditions, they will keep coming back besides bringing more people along with them.
“Recently, I had a group of tourists who came in from Spain. I wanted to get them to experience the traditional sadya. So, I took them to the houses of the Kudumbasree members in our village. There the tourists joined the women in gathering the ingredients needed for the sadya, prepping for the dishes and finally helping them to cook,” he said.
According to him, this not only benefits the tourists who get to experience the real Kerala and that too at a reasonable budget but also the locals who get to earn some money. “For example, after the sadya, the Spanish tourists paid the women around Rs 14,000 for providing them with the sumptuous lunch and also the experience,” said Harris. This is a part of what responsible tourism entails, he added. “Bringing in money not only for the homestay but also the local people,” he said.
In another incident, Harris explained how a group of tourists from Germany gifted a group of students from the nearby school Rs 17,000 after the children performed Oppana for them. “There was a couple in the group who were celebrating their wedding anniversary. So, I told them that I had a surprise in store for them. I got the students from the nearby school who had won the first prize in Oppana to come and perform for them. It was, according to the tourists, a surreal experience,” said Harris adding that this financial year will be very good in terms of tourist arrivals to my homestay.
Harris’ foray into the homestay business also has a story behind it. “I am basically a textile shop owner. It all started when an English tourist came to my shop to buy a dress. I helped her select the dress and also told her about the local beach besides inviting her for a cup of tea at my home. Surprisingly she came,” said Harris.
“At my home, the tourist got to see how banana fritters are made. She was so impressed that she brought four of her fellow tourists to my place. They were impressed and went back home to bring more people the next year. This was the start and my venture is still going strong due to the packages that I come up with every season,” he added.