ATTOI to conduct Yoga Tour in Kerala
ATTOI (Association of Tourism Trade Organizations, India), in association with Ministry of Ayush is organising a tour of yoga professionals from across the world to Kerala, known as the “Yoga’s birth place”. The 10-day educational tour, Yoga Ambassadors Tour, is organised as part of the various programmes organised by the ministry on the International Yoga Day (IDY) with the support of Kerala Tourism.
“Applications have been invited from established and practicing yoga professionals from around the world to have a first-hand experience of Kerala, the southern state of India, the country proud to be known as the birth place of Yoga,” said Ranjith Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Ayush.
The tour will culminate on June 21, which is the International Day of Yoga, and the delegates would also get a chance to participate in a mass yoga drill to mark IDY 2018. “The Yoga professionals do not need to be only yoga practitioners, they can be yoga tour operators or yoga writers. India is the source of yoga and place of its origin. We want everyone to practice yoga every single day and thereby improve their health and well-being,” said Ranjith.
The Yoga Ambassador Tour will start on June 13 from Thiruvananthapuram, the capital city of Kerala and will conclude on March 21 on the IYD in Kochi. “The tour will conclude with a team dinner in Kochi where the tourism trade operators will be able to network with the yoga ambassadors,” explained Anish Kumar PK, President, ATTOI.
The tour will start with the delegates attending International Yoga Conference at Kovalam and proceed to Kanyakumari, which lies in the southernmost tip of Peninsular India and will cover Jaytayupara, Kollam, the backwaters of Alappuzha, houseboats, Munnar and Kochi. “The highlight of the trip is the visit to Dolmens, the prehistoric place where renowned Yogis did yoga and meditation, said Anish Kumar.
As a curtain raiser to the International Yoga Day, the Ayush ministry has conducted a three-day International Yoga Festival on March 21 which was attended by around 5,000 delegates hailing from 16 countries. “More than 40 yoga institutions, resident associations and universities participated in the three-day event,” said Ranjith.
The ministry has shortlisted four cities – Jaipur, Hyderabad, Ahmedabad and Mysore – for conducting the main function of International Yoga Day this year. The PMO would select a city from these four to hold the main event.