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Kerala, making rapid strides in tourism, registered a remarkable
increase in domestic and international tourists during the first
quarter (January to March) of the year. While international
arrivals recorded a significant 25.89 per cent increase over the
previous year's figures, the domestic tourist arrivals marked a
7.95 per cent increase.
To sustain this momentum, several innovative initiatives have
been introduced by Kerala Tourism for the first time in India.
'Dream Season', launched in April 2007, targeted the domestic
holidaymakers and is rapidly converting the traditional
off-season (April- September) into a season of opportunity for
travellers. The initiative offers a host of packages at
never-before rates.
Learning process
"Let's Learn" was designed to enhance the skills of personnel in
the travel and hospitality industry. This is claimed to be the
first-of-its-kind tourism HR initiative in the country. Aimed at
capacity-building and skill upgradation, this step towards human
resource development seeks to bring in excellence in service and
process delivery, so that every organisation involved in the
tourism business as well as the destination can set superior
standards. Synergy Quest is a pioneering
e-research initiative that annually collects feedback from the
tourism trade across the world with a clear focus on fine-tuning
marketing strategies to ensure that every promotional venture
pays rich dividends. New experiences
Expanding the Kerala experience will be an initiative focused on
the tourism development of Malabar, the region in northern
Kerala comprising the districts of Malappuram, Kozhikode,
Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod. Home to several
places of interest like the 300-year-old fort at Bekal, the
historic Kappad beach where Vasco da Gama landed in 1498, and
Wayanad, famous for its forests and treehouses, Malabar remains
largely unknown to the world. 'Wake up to Malabar' will open up
this naturally, culturally and historically rich region and its
unique attractions to the world, like never before.
Kerala Tourism envisages its future growth by focusing on
sustainable and Responsible Tourism (RT). "The RT initiative has
taken off well and is being implemented on a pilot basis in four
destinations - Kovalam, Kumarakom, Thekkady and Wayanad. The
state is all set to take a huge stride in RT and in March 2008,
Kerala will have the rare honour of hosting the Second
International Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations,
in association with the International Centre for Responsible
Tourism (ICRT), India," said Venu V, Secretary, Kerala Tourism.
Chennai roadshow Now, to reach out once
again to the domestic market, a series of roadshows is being
organised in key markets like Mumbai, Chennai, Delhi, Ahmedabad,
Hyderabad, Kolkata and Bangalore. Led by Venu,
Sanjay Kaul, director, Kerala Tourism, 40 delegates comprising
hoteliers and tour operators, took part in the Chennai roadshow
that was held on October 9, 2007. A powerful networking and
business event, the roadshow offered a unique opportunity for
the trade in Chennai to interact with their counterpart from
Kerala.
Awards The most
acclaimed destination in the country, Kerala has won many
national and international awards this year too - the National
Award for the Best Tourism Board for a record eighth time, the
Das Golden Stadttor Award for Print Campaign, the Pacific Asia
Travel Association Gold awards for Cultural Tourism and Travel
Brochures, the CNBC Travel Award, NDTV Profit Business
Leadership Award and so on. Honours that will undoubtedly
inspire Kerala to aim even higher.
R Rangaraj
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