Tag: Kerala Tourism

Kerala tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran has stated that the government will come up with a new economic proposal in the next few days, listing a clutch of measures to help the industry survive the corona crisis. He said tourism secretary Rani George has submitted a note to the government, which will now be considered for discussion and subsequent ratification. Addressing the various tourism industry stakeholders through a virtual conference on Tuesday, the minister said the note will be discussed with the chief minister and the finance minister. “Tourism is a sector that had generated Rs 45,000 crore last year, moving ... Read more

Stranded Russian tourists who were scheduled to be evacuated on Saturday from Thiruvananthapuram, were not able to leave India with Russian authorities closing down the airspace. The evacuation by Ural Airlines was scheduled to happen by 2 pm. The Russian Embassy in Delhi, the Honorary Consul of the Russian Federation in Thiruvananthapuram, Ratheesh C Nair and others are in continuous dialogue with the concerned officials to pave the way for the departure. Most of the stranded Russian tourists are women and youngsters who were camping in Varkala, one of Kerala’s most scenic beaches. A WhatsApp group was created to coordinate ... Read more

New York is one of the largest metropolitan cities in the world, with a population of more than half of that of Kerala. The US city had enough time to combat the corona virus but it couldn’t handle the health crisis the way Kerala managed, though the south Indian state was affected pretty early by the rampaging pandemic. The Covid-19 virus first came to Kerala through a medical student who came from Wuhan, and that happened a full one month before the virus hit New York. Yet, New York couldn’t handle the virus like Kerala did. And that’s a testimony ... Read more

Kerala Tourism has suggested, on its Instagram handle, five books to read about the state during the lock-down. ‘The God of Small Things’ (Arundhati Roy), ‘Small Town Sea’ (Anees Salim), ‘Where the Rain is Born’ (ed. Anita Nair), ‘Ivory Throne: Chronicles of The House of Travancore’ (Manu Pillai) and the ‘Litanies of Dutch Battery’ (NS Madhavan) are the books listed. All the five books explore the soul of Kerala. For all of you locked down at home, these wonderfully written books will take you right where you want to be – in the midst of nature.

Sejoe Jose, Chairman, IATO (Kerala Chapter) – “We have asked the Centre for subsidies to pay salaries to employees in the travel and tourism sector, especially to those earning less than Rs 25,000. The banks should provide moratorium to loans provided and dates for payment of GST and taxes should be given an extension of 90 days. A 50% refund of TDS paid should be considered to bring down the cash flow problem. The state should prepare a master plan along with industry players to set a short term and long term plan for the growth of the tourism sector. ... Read more

The Confederation of Kerala Tourism Industry (CKTI) has written to all the 12 Members of Parliament (MPs) from Kerala, requesting them to take up the woes of the tourism sector in Parliament or related committees. CKTI President EM Najeeb in his letter to the MPs said the tourism industry which has already been facing various challenges, has been hit especially hard by the Covid-19 epidemic. In this context CKTI has requested the Union finance minister and the tourism minister to advise banks to extend moratorium on the repayment of loans and interests from entrepreneurs in the tourism sector for at ... Read more

The Ministry of Tourism has identified 17 sites in 12 clusters in the country for developing them as iconic tourist sites, the Minister of State for Culture and Tourism, Prahlad Singh Patel has stated in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Monday. The 17 sites include the Taj Mahal & Fatehpur Sikri (Uttar Pradesh), Ajanta & Ellora (Maharashtra), Humayun’s Tomb, Red Fort & Qutub Minar (Delhi), Colva (Goa), Amer Fort (Rajasthan), Somnath & Dholavira (Gujarat), Khajuraho (Madhya Pradesh), Hampi (Karnataka), Mahabalipuram (Tamil Nadu), Kaziranga (Assam), Kumarakom (Kerala) and Mahabodhi Temple (Bihar). The Ministry will be developing the above ... Read more

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan has unequivocally stated that no tourist coming into Kerala should feel harassed, due to the stringent virus testing measures initiated by the government, in the wake of the corona outbreak. “No one should be forced to leave,” he said while addressing a review meeting on the situation on Saturday. The chief minister has said that all stakeholders should ensure that the inbound tourists don’t face any difficulty. However, as part of the precautionary measures they have to be in isolation at their place of stay. A health department advisory has categorised the tourists as high ... Read more

State registers the highest growth rate since 1996 Kerala has shown yet again why it’s God’s Own Country when it comes to tourism. Despite being stung hard by the nipah virus and the incessant floods last year, the state has recorded the highest growth rate in domestic and total tourist arrivals in 24 years. Kerala attracted around 1.96 crore domestic and foreign visitors in 2019, registering a healthy growth of 17.2 per cent as compared to the figures in the previous year. The total earnings from tourism stood at Rs 45,010.69 crore, notching a robust 24.14 per cent increase. The ... Read more

In an aggressive bid to make deeper inroads in Europe, Kerala Tourism conducted a string of high-energy road shows by participating in World Travel Market (WTM) London 2019 in November and showcasing its formidable eyeball-grabbing products in the emerging markets of Scandinavian countries Denmark and Finland. Kerala Tourism Director P Bala Kiran led a high-profile official delegation, comprising prominent trade partners like hoteliers, resort owners, tour operators and service providers from the state, to WTM London and roadshows in Copenhagen (Denmark) and Helsinki (Finland). At WTM London, Kerala Tourism set up a spectacular pavilion over 120 sq.mt area with the ... Read more

Kerala has received the 2019 award for ‘Best Honeymoon Destination’ under domestic category by Travel and Leisure India and South Asia Magazine, boosting the efforts of the state to add new products to its tourism portfolio to attract a wide spectrum of tourists. Travel+Leisure India’s Best Awards 2019 were presented at an impressive function at ITC Maurya, New Delhi on Friday evening. Bollywood actress Dia Mirza was the host. Manoj TC, Deputy Director, Kerala Tourism, New Delhi received the award. The awards were given to international and domestic tourism departments, hoteliers, destinations, facilitators, service providers, and trendsetters at the function, ... Read more

Kallada river awaits the penultimate round of Champions Boat League (CBL) races this Saturday, a week ahead of the finals of the pioneering three-month event being organised by Kerala Tourism across five districts of the state. Coinciding with the traditional Kallada Boat Race, the 11th leg of the CBL at the venue, close to the Munroe Islands in this southern district, on November 16 will see nine snake-boats vying for top honours. Tropical Titans are atop the overall tally with 143 points that give them an unassailable edge over rivals. Behind the leading team at the end of CBL Round ... Read more

India’s first-ever mosque and the oldest in the sub-continent will be recreated in tune with its original character and aesthetics, as the Muziris Heritage Project (MHP) is set to restore the Cheraman Juma Masjid built in 629 AD at Kodungallur of this district. Kerala Governor Arif Mohammed Khan will inaugurate the project, an initiative of Department of Tourism through its heritage conservation efforts, on Sunday at the site of the religious structure, 40 km south of this city. State Finance Minister Dr T M Thomas Isaac will preside over the 4 pm function. Amongst the dignitaries at the event will ... Read more

Outperforming rivals by several yards amid loud cheers from spectators, Tropical Titans emerged victors yet again today at Race 10, stirring up prospects of scoring a third hat-trick in the Champions Boat League (CBL). The evening’s winners, with a timing of 4:39.76 along the 900-metre track at the Kayamkulam backwaters, surged further up the points position at 143, taking an unassailable lead after the 10th round of the pioneering water event modelled on IPL cricket. The final race saw a photo-finish for the first and second runners-up, with Coast Dominators coming second by clocking 5:17.17 and Raging Rowers (5:17.60) ending ... Read more

Rowing westward against a bright evening sun, all the teams displayed special vigour at the ninth round of the Champions Boat League (CBL) today, even as Tropical Titans continued to assert their supremacy by finishing first yet another time ahead of the finals later this month. The winning team timed 3:37.59 at Pulinkunnu leg of the 12-leg championship modelled on IPL cricket. Finishing second were Raging Rowers (3:45.75), while Mighty Oars (3:46.79) came third amid a cheering crowd of 1.3 lakh on both sides of the Pampa river. The ‘Nerolac Excel Fastest Team of the Day’ went to Tropical Titans ... Read more