Kerala Tourism on a resurgent mode, all set to bolster tourism in the State
Alongside its emphasis on KTM 2022, Kerala Tourism is stressing its renewed post-pandemic activities such as Caravan Tourism, Champions Boat League, and Responsible Tourism, while looking forward to more international and domestic tourists visiting the state soon. Along with keenly promoting the Malabar region this year, VR Krishna Teja IAS, Director, Kerala Tourism, shares about a slew of initiatives taken up to woo tourists back to the State.
What role will Kerala Travel Mart 2022 play in boosting tourism in the state?
KTM 2022 will not just chart the way forward for tourism, but impact other vital segments of the economy. With buyers from 69 countries and 25 states from India attending, and around 55,000 buyerseller interactions already scheduled, KTM 2022 will open Kerala’s tourism windows to the entire world.
Unlike the previous editions, KTM 2022 has more specialised segments with sellers who are into core tourism activities such as caravans, houseboats, ayurveda, adventure, plantation and backwater resorts besides destination weddings and MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions) operators, taking part.
Following the opening up of the state post, and the lifting of all COVID-induced restrictions, KTM 2022 promises to impart greater momentum to the entire spectrum of tourism activities in the state.
With the launch of the Kerala government’s Caravan Tourism project ‘Keravan Kerala’ what is your outlook for this project?
Kerala Tourism’s Caravan Tourism policy has been launched with a vision in mind. A vision that conforms to the government’s keenness in unlocking the whole of Kerala for tourists, who get to explore the unexplored.
After its launch in mid-Sept 2021, many potential investors have registered, evincing an interest in setting up 147 caravan parks, while 440 entrepreneurs have registered for running caravans in the state
This mode of vacation will offer the visitors a customized experience by facilitating their travel through a circuit of their choice through any part of the state. They can stay close to nature, move leisurely in a healthy ambience and enjoy the local flavours in all their variety before heading back home with enduring memories.
Our globally acclaimed Responsible Tourism initiative has a central role in this unique initiative. The Tourism Department will be there as a facilitator and regulator to see that all activities are environmentally and culturally sustainable.
What are your views on Inbound travel into the country? How is Kerala Tourism marketing itself to keep the destination alive and relevant to the foreigners?
We are confident that inbound travel to Kerala will pick up this year. The Government of India has lifted all pandemicinduced restrictions on international flights. The year-end and new year foreign tourist season are going to be hectic this year. We expect KTM 2022 to clinch a lot of B2B tieups, which will speed up the inbound travel.
What are the other tourism projects and initiatives envisaged for the international tourists when they come back in huge numbers to your state?
We have rolled out many highly attractive projects that will meet the demands of the post-pandemic tourist. These include ‘exploring the unexplored’ that unveils the untapped areas of the state. The Malabar region figures prominently in this initiative. Farm tourism, adventure activities and cultural tourism have also been reconfigured to make them more appealing to visitors from different parts of the world.
Which are the new destinations/ attractions/festivals the department is promoting to bring the essence of Kerala to both domestic and international travellers?
The year 2022 is going to be the year of Kerala Tourism, packed with a hectic schedule of absorbing events including Kerala Travel Mart in May, Champions’ Boat League (CBL) in August-November and Kochi Muziris Biennale in December-March. Also, several cultural and literary fests and adventure tourism activities will keep the state vibrant throughout the year.
From a focus on achieving targets in arrival numbers, Kerala has now pitched itself strongly as a safe and riveting allseason long-stay destination. From a location-specific approach, Kerala has firmly marked itself as a destination for extended holidays for all segments of visitors, with a bouquet of refreshing experiences stacked across the state.
What are the new initiatives of Kerala Tourism on the marketing front?
Kerala Tourism will launch a new campaign targeting summer holiday travellers in India and which aims at the expected summer school holiday season in North India. The multimedia campaign will appear in traditional and contemporary media like print, TV, OOH, digital, online, Social-Media, OTT, etc.
Kerala Tourism will take part in all major national B2B events, such as SATTE New Delhi, IITM Mumbai and the TTFs. We will also organise Partnership Meets in tier 1 and tier 2 cities across India to reach out to the travel trade industry in these cities. A similar exercise that reaches out to the international travel community is also being planned, and Kerala Tourism will market itself with renewed vigour in the international market.