A new project that enables tourists, who arrive in Kochi on ships, to roam around the city on cycles has been introduced by the Ernakulam District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC). Tourists can experience views of the backwaters and learn about the history of the city on cycles.
DTPC secretary Vijayakumar S told The Times of India that the best way to explore Kochi is on a bike. He noted that there are not many port towns in the world that can “boast about being influenced by so many different cultures from all parts of the world,” he said.
He also added that Kochi consists of multiple islands and is “blessed abundantly with so much nature," he added.
The service will be mainly for cruise tourists. The project was first annoucned by the DTPC in September. Blue Tiger tours was tapped to execute the tour program, which includes a 12 to 25 km bike drive that would cost around Rs 3,000 to Rs 4,000.
The Blue Tigers tours had earlier announced that they would introduce 20 bikes with gear in the initial stages. The bikes will be stationed near to Cochin Port Trust office. Tourists can also hire a guide for their cycling trips if they require one. The programme features individual, couple and group tours. Currently, the cycle rides will be arranged to Fort Kochi and Willingdon Island to understand Kochi's history and culture, along with enjoying a peaceful ride.
Vijayakumar said that the department doesn’t expect much turnout this year but is anticipating a good number of tourists opting for the tours from next year onwards. He said that in 2018, 50 ships docked in Kochi port and each ship had 1,000 passengers. This is the highest cruise turnout as compared to all other Indian ports.
According to department data in 2018, Kochi alone had 1,15,000 international tourists.