Kerala, the God’s own country, is on a roadshow blitzkrieg all over the world to attract tourists and also promote a new-concept called responsible tourism. “We will be organising roadshows in Frankfurt, Zurich, Rome, Madrid, Amsterdam and Sweden this month and next and early next year in Australia and Singapore,” says Sanjay Kaul, Director, Kerala Tourism.
Kerala has the largest plan outlay for tourism in the country at Rs 100 crore, out of which Rs 15 crore has been earmarked for marketing activities. Tourism contributes 8 per cent of the state’s exchequer. The number of foreign tourists, along with the domestic ones, are on a rise with international arrivals recording a significant growth of 25.89 per cent.
The goal of Kerala tourism directorate is to increase the tourist inflow though the state ranks among one of the highest in India because it grants high priority to tourism industry. After aggressive worldwide campaign, the number of foreign tourists is expected to multiply and the state is opening up new avenues for them, he adds.
Kaul says responsible tourism initiative, in which local population is actively involved to provide travel and lodging support and supply of locally-grown products, has taken off well and is being implemented on a pilot basis in four destinations - Kovalam, Kumarakom, Thekkady and Wayanad.
The government also plans to provide subsidies to the coffee and spices plantations in Munnar for the concept of “home stay” for tourists, quite popular among foreigners.
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