Growth and Seasonality of Tourist Arrivals at Athirappilly-Vazhachal Ecotourism Destination

Ecotourism destinations can be well managed, developed and preserved only when the factors affecting their day-to-day functioning are managed efficiently and regulated through a systematic mechanism. Kerala Forest and Wildlife Department is managing the ecotourism destinations in Kerala with the help of host community participation through Participatory Forest Management (PFM). This paper explores the potential of Athirappilly-Vazhachal in terms of growth in tourist arrivals and elucidates the growth pattern of various types of tourist arrivals. The monthly seasonality of tourist arrivals is also made a part of this study so that the peak season and off season are identified. This will help in improving the management of ecotourism destinations and assigning resources (human resource, physical resources, and financial resources) so that quality tourism experience can be provided to tourists, while carrying capacity and sustainability aspects of ecotourism destination are ensured.