Kumarakom is a popular tourist destination located near Kottayam in Kerala. It is most famous for its backwater tourism and is set on the backdrop of Vembanad Lake. Various luxury hotels and resorts line the shores, offering the best facilities for boating, yachting and fishing.
The bird sanctuary is another tourist attraction that can be reached by canoes run by local fishermen. The Aruvikkuxhi Waterfall along with its rubber plantations is a great location for wildlife and landscape photography.
Kumarakom is the first tourist destination in India to promote Responsible Tourism practices which successfully links the local community with the hospitality industry and government bodies, thus empowering the local community and sustaining eco-friendly tourism. The backwater tourism has made a huge business boom in the lives of locals with several homestays and by promoting the local culture and traditions to the outside world.