Category: Kerala

Ananthapura Lake Temple, Kasargod The Union Ministry has approved projects worth Rs 91.72 crore for the development of Pilgrimage tourism in Kerala. The fund will be used for the infrastructure development of 147 pilgrimage centers of the state. The proposals submitted by the Kerala tourism department have been approved by the Union Ministry of Tourism in principle. As per Kadakampally Surendran, the Kerala Tourism Minister, detailed project plans will be submitted to the Union Ministry in due course. This project will be implemented as part of the third pilgrimage tourism circuit of the Union Ministry. Major Hindu, Christian and Muslim ... Read more

The 66th edition of the Nehru Trophy boat race will be held on November 10, Finance Minister T M Thomas Isaac has said. The decision was taken at a meeting of the Nehru Trophy Boat Race Society (NTBRS) held at the collectorate in Alappuzha today. “We have decided to organise the boat race in November. This will help to revive the flood-hit tourism sector and Kuttanad,” the minister said. The boat race, scheduled to be held at Punnamada Lake on August 11, was postponed due to heavy rain and floods in the second week of August. The Minister said the event would ... Read more

The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) is all set to organise Ayurstart, a startup challenge programme to lure young entrepreneurs into Ayurveda medicinal and therapeutic industry. CII said it will work with the Kerala Startup Mission to identify and support the best ideas that are generated through Ayurstart 2018. The programme will be held on the second day of the Global Ayurveda Summit scheduled to be held at Le Méridien, Kochi from November 21 to 23. “There were 1,150-odd manufacturers in the Ayurveda domain a decade ago, but the numbers have declined to around 650 now. We have to promote innovative startups ... Read more

The sun shines over the God’s Own Country, not knowing about the Indian Meteorological Department’s (IMD) weather warning issued across the state sighting chances of incessant rains. However, looking at the clear sky, the IMD withdrew red alert for rains and landslides across Kerala, which they had issued earlier this week. The IMD had predicted excessive rainfall across Kerala, followed by which red alert have been issued in Palakkad, Thrissur and Idukki districts of Kerala. However, with the IMD withdrawing the warning, the red alerts issued in these districts were also withdrawn. The district administration has banned all tourism-related activities and imposed ... Read more

Kerala Tourism department is inviting application for tour guide training programmes at state and regional levels. There are 50 seats available for the state level course and 200 seats for the regional level. Training centers will be in Thiruvananthapuram, Ernakulam, Thrissur and Thalassery. Last date to submit the application is 22nd October 2018. Duration for the state level course is 9 weeks and 4 weeks for the regional level. Course fees is Rs 25,000 for the state level and 9,000 for the regional level; 50 per cent of the fess will be borne by the tourism department. Selection will be ... Read more

Sree Narayana Guru The union ministry of tourism has approved in principle the Sree Narayana Guru Spiritual Tourism Circuit proposed by Kerala Tourism. The project will link all the places related to Sree Narayana Guru, the social reformer of Kerala. The Tourism Ministry has also sanctioned Rs 70 crore for the project by including it under the Swadesh Darshan Scheme. However, Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said the state government have asked for Rs 118 crore for the project. Sree Narayana Guru was born in 1856 C.E. in the village of Chempazhanthi in Thiruvananthapuram. He is considered among the greatest ... Read more

Wayanad Tourism Organization (WTO), in association with the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) and the District Administration, organizes a 4×4 jeep rally from Bangalore to Wayanad with the tag line ‘Wayanad Calling’. The objective of the rally is to announce that Wayanad is safe and ready to receive tourists in all respects. The rally has set off from Lalith Ashok Hotel, Kumara Krupa Road, Bangalore on 6th October 2018 at 6:30 AM. There will be 30 jeeps and 25 bikes in the rally. See the photos of the rally here: Off road Jeeps are getting ready to set off from Lalit ... Read more

The Idukki district administration in Kerala has lifted the ban on Munnar, and Thekkady, including other tourist destinations. Effective from October 9 (Tuesday), travellers can access any of the tourist destinations including the Neelakurinji gardens. Earlier, the district administration has banned tourism and late night travel in the district starting October 5, in view of the heavy to very heavy rain forecast in Kerala and Lakshadweep in the next two-three days. A red alert has also been issued in three districts of Idukki, Thrissur and Palakkad on Thursday following an IMD forecast of heavy to very heavy rains in the ... Read more

(Photo for representative purpose only) Wayanad, renowned tourism destination in Kerala, popular for its natural scenic beauty and wildlife, is getting back to normal after the disastrous rain and flood. In order propagate the revival of the tourism destination, Wayanad Tourism Organization (WTO), in association with the District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) and the District Administration, organizes a 4×4 jeep rally from Bangalore to Wayanad. The objective of the rally is to announce that Wayanad is safe and ready to receive tourists in all respects.  It was informed by Vancheeswaran, President of WTO, in a press meet on 4th October ... Read more

Kannur International Airport will start its commercial operations on 9th December 2018. The inauguration date is announced after the airport has received the aerodrome licence to start commercial flight operations from the Director General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) on Thursday, 4th October 2018. The mandatory licence needed for the airport, was handed over to Kannur International Airport Ltd (KIAL) in New Delhi on Thursday. “We have received the aerodrome license from the DGCA and thus overcome all hurdles to commence flight operations,” said V Thulasidas, KIAL Managing Director The only formality left for the flight operations was the publication of ... Read more

Backwaters of Alappuzha are in the process of revival after the chaos of the rain and floods. In order to convey the message that Alappuzha is ready to receive tourists to its backwaters, the Alappzuha District Tourism Promotion Council is organizing a campaign with the tag line ‘Back to Backwaters’. The authorities are planning to have boat rally from the finishing point of the Nehru trophy boat race.The event will start on 5th October at 8:00 Am, with a bike rally of women, which will start from Alappuzha beach and conclude at the boat race finishing point. A photo exhibition ... Read more

An encouraging response to the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) has prompted the idea of a much spacious permanent venue from the next edition of what is already the country’s biggest tourism event, organisers said on Sunday. KTM-2020 will also be plastic-free even as the September 27-30 venue of the biennial event took exceptional care to ensure cleanliness, they told a press conference. The just-concluded edition saw 35,000 buyer-seller meets, 15,000 of them involving delegates from foreign countries. Kerala Tourism Secretary Rani George emphasised that KTM-2018 has enabled a general change in public perception that last month’s deluge has crippled the ... Read more

Nefertiti, the Egyptian themed luxury vessel of the Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC), will be launched by the end of October, charting a new course in cruise tourism in Kerala. This was announced on Sunday by Mohammed Hanish, Managing Director of KSINC, on the sidelines of Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) 2018, the biggest tourist conclave in the country at Willingdon Island here, where the vessel was showcased. Mohammed Hanish said Hon’ble Chief Minister of Kerala Pinarayi Vijayan is expected to inaugurate the luxury vessel. Equipped with 3D theatre, air conditioned hall, sun deck, banquet hall, bar – lounge and an ... Read more

Kerala made milestone advances in tourism by charting steps to stir up the crucial industry that contributes to a tenth of its economy, as the country’s biggest travel event concluded on Sunday by vowing to reinvigorate the sector recovering from last month’s natural calamity. The four-day Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) has announced plans to reinvent its decade-old responsible tourism, update customised packages, strengthen tools of publicity, broaden the tourism map and deck up heritage spots to woo more travelers to God’s Own Country. The event held from September 27-30 had 35,000 business meets involving 1,635 buyers (545 of them from 66 ... Read more

Foreign tourist witness traditional coir making, as part of responsible tourism in Kerala The Kerala government is aiming at generating 5 lakhs jobs in the tourism sector through its responsible tourism programme in the next three years, irrespective of the setback experienced by the tourism industry following the rain and flood during August this year. “Responsible tourism will be the key to the aspiring government plan of generating 5 lakhs job opportunities by 2021,” said Rani George, Kerala Tourism Secretary. She was addressing the tourism industry in the Kerala Travel Mart at Kochi, which has been taking place since 27th ... Read more