Category: Kerala

Strengthening the information network of Kerala Tourism, seven renovated tourism information centres were opened in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi on Tuesday, with Hon. Minister for Co-operation, Devaswom and Tourism, Kadakampally Surendran inaugurating the facility at the Central Bus Terminal at Thampanoor in Thiruvananthapuram. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said Tourist Information centres in Chennai, Goa and Kolkata were also getting spruced up and strengthened with sufficient staff and technical back-up. “Tourist Information Centres have undergone a complete makeover to meet the demands of tourists visiting Kerala. Through the project, the government is also providing jobs for professionally-qualified and skilled youth ... Read more

Influencers are having an increasing impact on people’s travel plans, with the majority of travellers now relying heavily on influencer’s recommendations when planning trips. Ellie Shedden, a qualified marketing specialist and owner of THE-OOP.COM, a digital marketing agency that helps small to medium businesses increase their reach and revenue, will speak on the ‘Impact of influential marketing in tourism’ at at the International Conference on Tourism Technology 2019, organized by ATTOI, at Le Meridian in Kochi on September 26. Around 60 per cent of  vacationers are swayed by influencers’ recommendations when deciding where to go, while 50 per cent look to ... Read more

As torrential rain lashes Kerala, the tourism department has decided to postpone the 67th edition of the Nehru Trophy boat race, which was scheduled on Saturday (Aug 10) at Punnamada lake in Alappuzha. The tourism department has made the announcement considering the risk from the heavy rain and flood. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan was slated to inaugurate the race at 2 p.m tomorrow. The Champions Boat League (CBL) was also planning to be flagged-off along with the Nehru trophy, with Cricketer Sachin Tendulkar as the chief guest cheering the crowds. A total of 79 boats, including 23 snakeboats, were scheduled ... Read more

Kerala Tourism has unveiled a unique product to literally extend the feel and taste of Onam festival to visitors by enabling them to enjoy a variety of traditional dishes including the famed multi-dish ‘sadya’ and trips to sylvan rural stretches. The project , worked out by the State Responsible Tourism (RT) Mission, will facilitate tourists to stay at village homes as guests, join the celebrations of the festival of flowers, partake home-made delicacies and meals and receive attractive gifts before bidding farewell. The product , ‘Enjoy Onam feast, get Onam gifts ’, piloted in 2017 in selected places, will be ... Read more

Riding on a swift recovery from one of the worst natural calamities, Kerala Tourism has regained the pre-floods tourist footfalls, registering an impressive growth rate of 14.81 per cent in the second quarter of the current year as against the figures of the corresponding period a year earlier. There was an increase of 639,271 tourists (both domestic and foreign) during April-June this year as compared to the figure during the corresponding period in the previous year. In the first quarter (January-March), the total number of tourist arrivals was 46,12,937 as compared to 43,18,406 during the same period in 2018. The ... Read more

It’s hard to spot an industry that’s not been impacted by Artificial Intelligence. Tourism industry is also leveraging the transforming benefits of AI, which is helping make travel experiences more niche and targeted towards travellers. Hannes Lösch, the founder of Limendo, a technology and consulting company based in Bolzano, South Tyrol, will speak on AL and travel revolution at the International Conference on Tourism Technology 2019 at Le Meridian in Kochi on September 26. “AI helps analyze the traveller profile by looking at their preferences, budget, location, eating habits, and thereby, helping produce personalized and tailor-made suggestions for them. It ... Read more

The Association of Tourism Trade Organisations, India (ATTOI), in association with Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, is all set to host the International Conference on Tourism Technology (ICTT) in Kochi to address the challenges related with technology faced by Indian tourism and hospitality industry. The third edition of ICTT will have a separate session on attracting Chinese tourists to Indian destinations, especially Kerala. Richard Matuzevich from China will speak on the topic ‘How to do social media tourism promotion to get Chinese tourists? “In recent years, the people of China have begun to travel more and more. In 2017, ... Read more

Having all the trappings of a global spectacle, Kerala Tourism’s Champions Boat League (CBL), India’s first-ever water-based boat racing patterned on the IPL format of cricket, will make its debut next month. Hon. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will flag off the event on August 10, on the sidelines of the famed Nehru Trophy Boat Race at Alappuzha, in the presence of Cricket legend Sachin Tendulkar. “Every detail has been worked out meticulously for the hassle-free conduct of the event. The preparations are moving to the final stages, “Hon. Minister for Tourism, Co-operation and Devaswom Kadakampally Surendran told a press conference ... Read more

Leaders of tourism industry have unanimously agreed on the action plan for implementing a “Green Code of Conduct” in nine major tourist destinations and accommodation units in Kerala, as the two-day workshop held to mark the launch of “Clean Kerala Initiative,” piloted by Responsible Tourism Mission (RT) with the co-operation of the stake-holders in the tourism sector, concluded on Thursday. As per the action plan, at least two of these centres will be converted into RT practising destinations before December 31. Besides, by September 30, possible accommodation units in different parts will be declared plastic-free. The programme was organized by ... Read more

Before a packed audience of artists, connoisseurs and music lovers, the inaugural “Nishagandhi Sangeetha Puraskaram” was presented to eminent musicians Padma  Parassala B Ponnammal and Padma Bhushan Dr. T V. Gopalakrishnan by Hon’ble Minister for Tourism, Cooperation and Devaswom, Kadakampally Surendran, for their outstanding contributions to music, on Wednesday. Instituted by Kerala Tourism, the coveted honour, which carries Rs 1.5 lakh, citation and memento, was given away at the valedictory function of the five-day music festival Nishagandhi Monsoon Ragas at Nishagandhi Auditorium, Kanakakunnu Palace, here. In his address, the Minister noted that in the coming years the music festival will ... Read more

Seeking to keep prime tourism destinations across Kerala plastic and garbage free, Hon. Minister for Tourism, Co-operation and Devaswom Kadakampally Surendran today launched the “Clean Kerala Initiative,” piloted by Responsible Tourism Mission with the co-operation of the stake-holders in the tourism sector. Flagging off the project and a two-day workshop at Chaithram Hotel here, Surendran lauded the role of Responsible Tourism (RT) Mission in rejuvenating the tourism sector by promoting good practices like the “Green Code of Conduct.” “Responsible Tourism Mission (RT) is not just a propaganda tool of the government but it is an integral component of the tourism ... Read more

Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Tourism, Govt of Kerala, will inaugurate the project for the implementation of Green Code of Conduct in selected tourist centres to keep them plastic and garbage-free zones, on July 24. The programme, being organized by Responsible Tourism Mission (RT) in association with Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) and local self government institutions, will be held at Chaithram Hotel, Thampanoor at 11 am. As part of the launch of the project, which had been committed by the state government earlier, a two-day workshop also has been planned. The project aims to take nine selected tourist centres to Green ... Read more

Photo Courtesy: Random Explorer, Flickr Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran has inaugurated the Kanjirapuzha Dam Garden in Palakkad today. The new modified Kanjirapuzha dam garden also offers boating facility for the visitors. The garden, which is spread on 8 acres, has special zones for children which includes pedal boating, swimming pool, cycling, various rides etc. The garden also has a musical fountain and special lighting arrangements to deck up the whole area. The facility has around five boats for the travellers, seven rain shelters for those who wish to get a cover from the rains, a public addressing system to ... Read more

Eminent classical musicians Padma Parassala B Ponnammal and Padma Bhushan Dr. T V Gopalakrishnan have been selected for the inaugural Nishagandhi Sangeetha Puraskaram, instituted by Kerala Tourism to honour artists who have made outstanding contributions to music. Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Tourism, Cooperation and Devaswom made the announcement at a press conference here on Wednesday. The honour carries Rs 1.5 lakh, citation and memento. Nishagandhi Monsoon Ragaas, the five-day music festival organized by the Kerala Tourism Department, will be inaugurated by Hon’ble Governor of Kerala Rtd Justice P Sathasivam on July 20, at 6.15 PM at Kanakakunnu Palace. Minister for ... Read more

Kerala Tourism has bagged three PATA Golden Awards –  for its Ethnic Restaurant at Kumarakom, Kerala in Women Empowerment Initiative segment and ‘Come Out and Play’ Campaign of Kerala Tourism Travel Advertisement Broadcast Media segment and the website of Kerala Tourism, (www.keralatouirsm.org) adjudged as the best website in Web Site segment in marketing category. The majority of the RT mission beneficiaries are women, many of them are from the local community involved in traditional jobs. Of the 15500 Responsible Tourism Mission units in Kerala, women groups manage 13500 of them. The ethnic food restaurant – Samridhi – run by a ... Read more