Overview

• The three-day travel literary festival concluded Sunday with a slide guitar performance by Prakash Sontakke at Varkala’s Ranga Kala Kendram.
• In a closing-day session, former Chief Secretary Venu V said tourism and knowledge-based services will power Kerala’s growth, citing rising footfall, new investment and traction for destination weddings.
• Wildlife photographer Balan Madhavan warned that surging ecotourism is straining protected forests, while writer-activist Tenzin Tsundue urged visitors to travel with sensitivity to local communities.
• About 50 speakers from India and abroad mixed literature, film and digital storytelling, with Booker winner Shehan Karunatilaka noting that travel writing often reveals the author more than the destination.
• Organisers highlighted Kerala’s appeal to both luxury and budget travellers and called for showcasing lesser-known experiences such as Theyyam, as Yaanam is positioned to become an annual, rotating festival.