The villagers from Kayanna, 45 km from Kozhikode, are not rich, managing to earn about Rs.3,000-4,000 per month. But thanks to the travel clubs, they are confident about travelling and meeting the expenses.
The villages of Kayanna and adjacent Koorachundu are home to more than a dozen travel clubs. Tours are an indispensable biennial event in these villages.
'The last time we planned to fly to Delhi it did not materialise because the plan did not get a nod from the majority of club members. Next year, too, we will propose a trip to New Delhi by plane. If members approve the plan, we will have no problem in organising the trip,' A.K. Sajeevan, secretary of the Phoenix Family Club at Karikandanpara, a small hamlet near Kayanna, told IANS.
Sajeevan has been the secretary of the club for the last 10 years. This hamlet itself has around four tour clubs and some of the villagers are members of more than one club.
The travel clubs that run on subscription from villagers and memberships are open to all.
The clubs have an ingenious way to raise funds for the tours. Each club has around 45-50 members; enough to hire a bus for a trip. The members pay a monthly subscription of Rs.100 for two years.
The corpus raised is invested in some ventures and the profit is used for organising tours. After the trip, members get back their subscription amount.
'Last time, our club bought hay from Palghat (around 150-km south from here) during harvest season with the subscription money. Later, we sold the fodder for a good profit here,' said Sajeevan.
The tour clubs also execute contracts tendered by the local administrative bodies with the money. In their last trip to tourist spots across Kerala, the Pheonix Club had spent around Rs.80,000.
'Apart from investing the money in small businesses, we also give loans to club members at a nominal interest rate,' said C.K. Narayanan, president of Udaya Club. Narayanan is a construction worker.
If you enquire about the origin of travel clubs or about people's penchant for tours, villagers have no clear answer. 'I am an active member of various tour clubs for the last 22 years and went for about 10 tours. I don't know who started the first club here. These clubs were there when I was a child,' said E.J. Shaju, a middle-aged farmer, a member of the Idea Club.
The club has 15 families as members and three from a family can take part in tours.
'I have already visited Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. However, no clubs have ventured to North India yet,' said Shaju.
The clubs have strict code of conduct. 'Each member should read the rules and should sign the form before becoming members,' said Sajeevan.
It is during the general body meeting of the clubs that travel plans are finalised. 'The destination and tour plan will be decided by vote. All the members have to go by majority decision,' he added.
A panel comprising six or seven members looks after the club administration. A two-member audit team will keep tab on accounts.
During a trip, a discipline committee of three members will be formed to keep order during travel.
'The travel clubs are a community enterprise here. It helps strengthen relationships as families will be spending almost a week together during the tours,' Sajeevan said.
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