"Everything Will Be Okay": Priyanka Gandhi Reassures Homestay Owners In Wayanad (image: x.com/priyankagandhi)
As the election campaigns are progressing, Congress General Secretary and party nominee for Wayanad by-election, Priyanka Gandhi Vadra met some of the homestay owners in the district recently and talked to them about the challenges they are encountering after the July 30 landslides.
The homestay owners narrated that, who have been primarily relied on agriculture, depletion of crop prices and wild animal attacks forced them to shift to the tourism industry, which is currently facing a huge setback after the Meppadi and Mundakkai landslides. “Several tourist centres have shut down in Wayanad,” Ajal K. Jose, All Kerala Tourism Association District, said.
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Homestay owners said that they are wondering how their lives going to be amidst these difficult times. “The outsiders presume that Wayanad has become inhospitable after the landslide,” one homestay owner remarked. Their business was slowly picking up after the pandemic, but the landslides and floods had led the economy to crash.
Gandhi then recounted the big disaster that happened in Himachal Pradesh and how slowly tourism started picking up after taking some time.
She also added that Wayanad has so much potential, and people here need so much love and support. “From what I understand it, the homestays are the real backbone here,” Gandhi said.
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“I really feel that tourism, especially homestays, needs a boost here, as does farming and food processing. I would like to focus on these issues, and I will be very happy if I can be of help in any way,” she added.
Comforting local homestay owners, she further said, “Everything will be okay. It will take little time, but I am sure it will be fine.”
The by-election for the Wayanad Lok Sabha seat will be held on November 13 and results will be announced on November 23.
