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The Kerala Tourism Department announced a slew of new projects, including heli-tourism, to encourage the footfall of travellers, at a trade meet organised at Eros Hotel in New Delhi, on Thursday. P B Nooh, Director, Kerala Tourism Department, pegged the heli-service as a game changer, “much like the houseboats initiative introduced three decades ago”. The project — Sky Initiative — is aimed at providing one-day travel between the state’s top tourist destinations. It was launched in 2023 and is run on public-private participation (PPP) model.
“Kerala has become the first state in the country to come out with a comprehensive heli-tourism policy. A micro-site has been created giving details of travel packages offered by the helicopter service providers. This initiative will be of enormous help to tourists planning to visit various destinations in a single trip, making the state an inter-connected tourism hotspot,” Nooh said.
The state is also set to host four international adventure sporting events this year — the International Paragliding Festival at Vagamon in Idukki from March 14 to 17, the International Surfing Festival at Varkala from March 29 to 31, the mega mountain biking event, MTB Kerala 2024, will be held at Priyadarshini tea plantation in Mananthavady, Wayanad, from April 26 to 28 and the Malabar River Festival 2024 will be held at Kodencherry in Kozhikode from July 25 to 28.
“Adventure tourism is expected to grow 20 per cent by 2032 worldwide. It also played a huge role in the growth of domestic tourism. In the new year, we have drawn up an aggressive marketing strategy to bolster the presence of domestic tourists in the state,” said the Director.
The state is planning several big-ticket adventure tourism events since the state’s varied topography, which features mountains, rivers, beaches and canals, offers immense potential for this segment.
The Kerala Tourism Department is making concerted efforts to promote the state as an ideal wedding destination by leveraging its natural beauty, picturesque destinations, excellent accommodation and banquet facilities, and connectivity. Kerala registered a record 159.69 lakh visitors from within the country between January and September 2023, clocking a growth of 19.34 per cent.
“It is a testament to our innovative tourism initiatives that make the state not only a safe and hospitable destination but also an all-weather holiday paradise,” he said.
Nooh said the revamped strategy of Kerala’s Tourism Department hinges on introducing new destinations, creating innovative tourism circuits, investing in infrastructure development and capacity-building projects, broadening the award-winning Responsible Tourism (RT) initiative, which allows tourists to experience village life, and ensuring better connectivity.
Kerala Tourism Department will organise a string of travel trade networking activities in January-March in prominent Indian cities, by participating in trade fairs and also organising B2B Partnership Meets (roadshows) to introduce the new products to a wider audience. These included a Partnership Meet in Chandigarh earlier this week and a string of B2B trade meets in Bhopal, Lucknow, Ahmedabad and Hyderabad during February-March.
“Alongside the new projects, the state’s core assets like beaches, hill stations, houseboats and backwater segment will heighten the totality of the visitors’ experience,” he said, adding, “Adventure, Wellness, and Responsible Tourism will be taken forward with a greater sense of purpose and vigour”.
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