Kozhikode: New and innovative projects should be introduced to attract a significant share of the tourists visiting India each year to the Malabar region, said Malabar Group chairman M.P. Ahammed.

Kozhikode needs a central park. Sarovaram Biopark can be envisioned for this purpose, he said. The area has good transport connectivity and around 450 acres of land that is currently lying unused.

The project can be developed as a family entertainment centre while preserving nature as it is, Ahammed said. “Entertainment is a sector with great potential today,” he said.

However, there is a major hurdle. There is a tendency here to blindly oppose anything that could bring financial benefits to someone.

Around ₹2,000 crore would be required to make the Sarovaram Biopark project a reality. Hence, investors would also be essential for the project. The Malabar Group would take up 10 per cent, while there are many individuals who can invest ₹1 crore each, he said.

India is a country where treatment can be provided at a relatively low cost. Kozhikode is also strong in this sector. Therefore, health tourism has significant potential, he said.

The remarks were made at the Mathrubhumi Tourism Conclave’s Gateway to Malabar Tourism programme, held at Raviz Kadavu in Kozhikode.