Kerala Tourism Organises Trade Meet in Mumbai
Post-floods Kerala ready to receive Tourists,
says Tourism Secretary
Mumbai, Oct 12: Overcoming the ordeal caused by the recent floods with a remarkable
swiftness, Kerala presented before
various stakeholders of tourism and hospitality industry in this western
megapolis a string of exciting new products, exuding
confidence that the novel initiatives would spark interest among tourists from
both India and abroad.
Kerala has emerged stronger from the
traumatic aftermath of the floods. The just concluded Kerala Travel Mart
(KTM) 2018, which saw the participation of over 1500 buyers from across 66
countries in one of the most successful editions of the event, is a strong
proof of it, Tourism Secretary Mrs Rani George said at a media interaction at The
Club Mumbai. “At the KTM, industry stakeholders
showed huge confidence in the state’s readiness to host tourists. The most important task at hand now is to put
it out to the world that we are back on track and ready to receive tourists from
everywhere in all major destinations,” she added.
Listing the new products and experiences tailor-made for the domestic
traveller, Mrs George said Jatayu Earth Centre in south Kerala, which
contains the world’s largest bird
sculpture of Jatayu mentioned in the epic Ramayana, a virtual reality museum and a state-of-the-art
ropeway to reach the destination, could be among the new tipping points for the
state’s tourism. The giant statue of Jatayu is 200 feet long, 150 feet
wide and 70 feet in height, making it the largest functional bird sculpture in
the world. “Spurred by Kumarakom bagging the
prestigious Responsible Tourism award at the London World Travel Mart last year,
we have founded a new Responsible Tourism Mission. Our new tourism
policy focuses in depth at sustainable, responsible and environment-friendly
tourism,” she pointed out. For those who seek an adrenalin rush,
the timing could not be more perfect to explore the rolling hills of Munnar and
explore Neelakurinji, the rare flower which blooms once every 12 years covering the landscape with a fascinating
carpet of lilac and blue. The young travellers can savour the beauty by
trekking, cycling or biking.
“The international airport at Kannur is scheduled to open in
December, and Kerala Tourism hopes to establish Malabar, which
shares boundaries with Coorg, Coimbatore and Mysuru, as the new
tourism gateway to the state,” said the Tourism Secretary. For art aficionados, the immensely
popular Kochi-Muziris Biennale
will be holding its fourth edition from December 12th, 2018
and will run till March, 2019. The biennial has changed the landscape of
contemporary Indian art today and given Kochi the status of the art capital of
India. For history buffs looking to transport
themselves to another era, there is the Muziris Heritage Project. The remains of a once thriving port
frequented by Arabs, Romans, Egyptians as early as the first century BC is
today preserved across 25 museums as the largest heritage conservation project
in India.
Another offering in the historical space is the Spice Route Project that rekindled the 2000-year old ancient sea links and shared cultural and culinary legacies with 30 countries. “Travellers come in search of an enriching experience and it is via festivals, museums and exhibitions that we can help them gain a complete Kerala experience. We are planning to host a series of literary and music festivals which will be organised with the association of public organizations,” she said.
Another offering in the historical space is the Spice Route Project that rekindled the 2000-year old ancient sea links and shared cultural and culinary legacies with 30 countries. “Travellers come in search of an enriching experience and it is via festivals, museums and exhibitions that we can help them gain a complete Kerala experience. We are planning to host a series of literary and music festivals which will be organised with the association of public organizations,” she said.
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