With the winter season kicking in, Kerala Tourism has come up with a slew of riveting experiences, including new locales, side-by-side the time-honoured backwaters, beaches and hill stations, to enthral both domestic and international travellers.
“Through its strategic initiatives Kerala has set a new model of sustainable and inclusive tourism development,” Kerala Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas said in a video message at the ‘Network Kerala’ B2B Tourism Meet held in the national capital on Thursday.
“As a global brand, Kerala Tourism has made a paradigm shift by firmly positioning it as an inclusive, experiential and regenerative destination that offers diverse choices to visitors in the length and breadth of the state,” he said.
Kerala Tourism’s Tourist Information Officer S Sreekumar made a presentation highlighting the unique products and experiences of God’s Own Country.
The day-long event saw sellers from Kerala and buyers from the national capital coming together to clinch business deals for promoting the destination in the ongoing season. The event concluded with a cultural programme, showcasing the state’s diverse performing traditions.
Significantly, the current in-bound season for Kerala coincides with the sixth edition of the Kochi-Muziris Biennale, beginning on December 12. One of the world’s major contemporary art shows with convergence of artists from across the world, the event will go on till March 31 next year.
Also, the state recently unveiled a Vision Document which will serve as a template for development of tourism that will unlock Kerala’s untapped potential as an ever-fascinating destination, besides bringing to fore many best kept secrets.
The vision document emphasises on tourism business innovations and investments in related products, including wellness tourism and adventure tourism, besides harnessing the potential of heritage, cultural, and spiritual tourism.
The policy aims to transform Kerala into a complete digital and smart tourism ecosystem through integrated visitor management, smart ticketing, AR/VR (augmented/virtual reality) experiences, and analytics based on artificial intelligence.
“Kerala also stands out as the first state to adopt a focused woman-friendly tourism policy, firming up its global standing as a safe and clean destination for women to travel and experience its diverse charms, including a hands-on feel of the cultural and livelihood traditions of the village communities.
Of late, there has been an uptick in footfall of women tourists in the state, both as solo travelers and as part of all-woman group packages, many of which are conducted by women entrepreneurs themselves,” a release issued by the state government said.
The state has also made a strong reputation in sustainable and inclusive tourism through its globally appreciated Responsible Tourism Mission Society, which has added a string of destinations in partnership with local communities.