In Kerala, Church to play host to tourists

In god’s own country, it is the turn of God’s servants to play host to tourists.





The Church of South India, a prominent non-Catholic Christian segment, has entered into home stay tourism in Kerala’s picturesque Wayanad district.





The CSI converted a parsonage at Meppadi in Wayanad into home stay for two families. The CSI has plans to tap tourism potential of Church properties elsewhere in Wayanad and Munnar hill station in Idukki. The Church had given a spiritual touch for tourism by offering counselling for visiting souls.





According to North Kerala CSI Bishop K P Kuruvila, the Church wanted to promote value-based tourism. “We would not promote unhealthy trends including sex tourism which takes place under the guise of home stay. We would keep an eye on the tourists.”





“The Church wants to promote tourism as it enhances interaction of different people and culture. Our home stays would give modern facilities at affordable rate. Although the tourists would get counselling and prayer assistance from the priests, the home stays would be open for all communities. Three more home stays would come up in Wayanad itself,” said Kuruvila.



Though the CSI home stay is the first tourism venture from a Church in Kerala, Kolkata-based nuns’ congregation had run home stay in an old convent at Kalpetta in Wayanad for a few months. But later the nuns wound up the tourism business on ethical grounds. “They feared that the home stay would be misused by visitors,” Church sources said.

Source> http://www.malankaranazrani.com/csi%20Church%20to%20play%20host%20to%20tourist.htm