An ambitious 10 billion tourism project on the cards for Kerala
Published June 10, 2008 | 
Kannur: A 10 billion project is on the anvil to improve the basic infrastructure in Kerala .The state Government is trying to mobilise funds for this ambitious project, which would change the fortunes of Kerala as a popular tourist destination.
The tourism minister opined that if the terms and conditions of ADB loan are acceptable, the state may think of availing the loan just like many other Indian States.
The minister also inaugurated a beach beautification programme at Kappad, the fabled venue where the legendary Portuguese sailor, Vasco da Gama, is believed to have set foot in India, around 5 centuries back. A fund of Rs.55 million would be allocated for the Kappad beautification project.
In addition, the hilly district of Wayanad would be declared as a responsible tourism destination in Kerala, which would help the tribal people in the district to sell the forest produce to the tourists and to make a decent living.
Fort Kochi to have a folklore cultural theatre
Published May 28, 2008 | 
Kochi: The heritage tag of Fort Kochi would be further enhanced by the proposed folklore cultural theatre coming up at the tourism complex near the bus stand. The District Tourism Promotion Council aided project is at the final stages of completion, much to the delight of the art lovers of India and abroad.
Incorporating all the latest facilities, the proposed theatre would give further impetus to the promotion of the exceptional art forms of Kerala. It has a budget outlay of over 23 Lakh rupees and at present the interior decoration is going on in full swing.
The theatre would cater to the growing demand from foreign tourists to enjoy and pick up the nuances of traditional art forms like Kathakali.
Fort Kochi takes pride to an array of arenas that are typically associated with hotels and resorts where this timeless art form is regularly staged. Foreign tourists are keen enthusiasts of this art form and take great interest in the various stages right from the elaborate process of application of make up using traditional articles to the development of story line and the various hand mudras that are subtly used to express emotions and thoughts.
The cultural theatre in Fort Kochi is all set to repeat the success stories of the three earlier projects of the District Tourism Promotion Council including the spruced up Durbar Hall ground, the Royal Musical Walkway and the recreation pond near the Children’s Park.
Kerala introduces road shows to attract tourists
Published May 5, 2008 | 
Ahmedabad: In an innovative attempt to attract more domestic tourists to Kerala, the tourism department is planning to organize road shows in different parts of the country. The road show that started late last month was started from Ahmedabad, which will later move to Baroda and Pune. If offers a unique opportunity for the business fraternity to work in tandem with their counter parts in Kerala to promote responsible and sustainable tourism.
It is heartening to note that with the introduction of many long distance trains, Kerala is well connected with all parts of India including the western states, which has considerably improved the tourist inflow from these parts of the country. Compared to the vibrant International tourism segment, domestic tourism market remains virtually untapped. While the foreign tourists recorded a healthy growth of 20.37% over the previous years, the domestic tourist arrivals showed only a marginal increase of 5.92%.
In a bid to woo the domestic travelers, the conventional off season of April-September is being promoted as the dream season, which would offer an excellent opportunity for domestic travelers to savor a slice of the best of Kerala.
Kerala Travel Mart, the biennial event showcasing the finest attractions of Kerala, is the only tourism market in India that displays the various tourism related products and services of Kerala. Kochi will be hosting the next travel mart in September, which brings together both private and public sector undertakings in the tourism sector.
Malappuram gets the much awaited amusement park
Published April 16, 2008 | 
Malappuram: The Malappuram municipality has set a standard by being the first municipal body to have set up an amusement park for the benefit of its citizens. This amusement park at Kottakunnu will be the first amusement park in Malappuram. The website of Kottakunnu Amusement Park also will also be inaugurated on this occasion. A cultural feast in the form of a musical evening will be held at the Kottakunnu open-air auditorium to add flair to the whole celebration.
The amusement park at a cost of Rs.5 crore has come up on 2.02 hectares of land provided by the District Tourism Promotion Council. The park was set up on a build-operate-transfer (BOT) basis with many user friendly rules and regulations including that the operator should not levy more than Rs.200 a person, excluding tax. The entrance fee for children will be Rs.175 and users below 90 cm in height need not pay any fees. The entrance fee for persons aged above 55 years would be only Rs.100.
This amusement park, the first of its type in Malappuram district was constructed in less than a year. The park will have over twenty four rides that would appeal to children and elders alike. The hot spots of this park would be rides like ball pool, water shooter, water MGR, family slider and multilane ride among others.
The park is expected to boost the revenue of the municipality, which would come handy in completing various ongoing development projects and also to initiate new projects.
Impressive eco-tourism destination in Kerala
Published April 3, 2008 | 
Apr, 3: Kerala with its diverse topography boasts tremendous scope for nature friendly tourism. Kerala flaunts several impressive landmarks including the Silent Valley, Munnar and Wayanad. As an initiative to promote eco-tourism in the state the Plantation Corporation of Kerala has put forth a new project named Nature Village to promote nature friendly tourism projects all over the state.
The enchanting eco-tourism spot that is located on the banks of Chalakudy River, nearThrissur, will definitely woo those adventure buffs. The Plantation Corporation expects the impressive Vadaamuri Lagoon that is created by the famous king Tipu Sultan as a defence against the enemies will be a centre of attraction. The water passage to this site is flanked by dense forest; it will offer an inimitable experience to both local and international tourists to an equal extent.
Owing to its location near the well known Athirapally water falls the visit to Vadaamuri Lagoon will offer the tourists a wonderful experience. The water falls is just 600 meters away from Vadaamuri lagoon. There are adequate numbers of ferry services available in the area to fulfil the requirement of the visitors. Earlier the District Tourism Promotion Council has allotted 55 lakhs for the beautification work of the Thumpoormuzhi dam and the surrounding areas; they also named it as Nature Village.
The second phase of the project includes constructing cottages and hanging bridges for the convenience of the tourists. The work has already begun as the state government is providing whole hearted support for the completion of this prestigious project. After completion this project will sure add a new gem in the cap of God’s own country.
International conference on responsible tourism
Published March 3, 2008 | 
Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is gearing up to play host to the international conference on responsible tourism scheduled for March 21-24. Organized by the Kerala Tourism and the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (India), it is a follow up of the first Responsible Tourism Conference held in Cape Town in 2002.
Over 400 Indian and foreign delegates fro over 20 countries including those from Britain, Germany, Gambia, South Africa, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bhutan are expected to participate. Many topics of common interest such as local economic development, poverty reduction and sustainability are expected to come up for discussion. Kerala was chosen as the venue for this prestigious conference in recognition of the state’s initiatives on responsible tourism. The conference might go a long way in spreading awareness among the local populace, tour operators and hoteliers to be more responsible. In addition it might also help them to keep abreast with the changing trends and practices all over the world. Many noted personalities such as Harsh Varma, Fiona Jeffrey, Renton de Alwis and Hiran Cooray are expected to participate.
Participants will also be visiting many home stays, farms and heritage sites during the conference. Some of the tourist destinations featured include Kumbalangi, Fort Kochi, Kumarakom and Mattancherry among others. This international seminar would help to notch up the popularity of Kerala as a global tourist destination in the days to come.
Healthy and hygienic Kerala
Published March 3, 2008 | 
Mar 3: Kerala has long been considered as the top priority tourist destination among the global tourists. The main reason for this is attributed to the tourists-friendly ambiance prevailing in the southern part of India. The backwaters, houseboats, ayurvedic treatment packages, verdant landscapes and lot more inimitable qualities perfectly blend together to make Kerala an ideal destination that offer both rural calm and urban charm.
In the health care sector Kerala is considered as the role model for the rest of the country. Personal and public hygiene are the hallmark of Kerala, the alertness of the government and its willingness to take appropriate measures to implement preventive strategies to get rid of major epidemics is appreciable. As part of the National Malaria Eradication Programme right from the year 1965, the Kerala government took comprehensive measures to drive Malaria out of the state.
An expert committee was appointed in 1995 to ensure that the state is well protected from the threat of Malaria. The state is completely free from Malaria and other outbreaks and it is very much hygienic that stands very close to the nature. So don’t waste time to take preventive health pills, just relish irresistible pleasure from your outing to God’s own country. Get ready with your backpacks enjoy the charm and cheer offered by enchanting Kerala.
German delegation exalted by the tourism potential of kerala.
Published February 7, 2008 | 
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The members of the Indo-German Parliamentary Friendship Group of the German Parliament of Bundestag opined that there is an immense potential for business collaboration between Kerala and Germany in many vital sectors such as tourism and infrastructure development among others. Kerala can keep huge strides in keeping the environment clean by making use of some of the latest technologies in waste water purification and waste management to draw more foreign tourists.
Joseph Ph. Winkler, who himself hails from Kerala, headed the delegation. He told that Germany utilizes many low cost technologies for generating power from municipal waste. Though it might not be feasible for commercial applications, it could be an ideal option for street lighting country sides as it would yield considerable energy and eliminate waste at one shot. Kerala could reduce environmental pollution by promoting high end tourism. If the state maintains a quality environment more tourists from Germany would make Kerala their tourist destination opined this Green party member.
Johannes Singhammer, spokesman of Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Woman and Youth of ruling coalition in Germany, said that there is scope for youth exchanges between India and Germany. Germans would also be greatly interested in rejuvenation therapies in Ayurveda in Kerala and traditional art forms like kathakaliand koodiyattomamong others. He called Kerala a ‘paradise’ and urged Keralites to protect it at any cost.
Road show of hospitality industry takes Kochi by storm
Published January 30, 2008 | 
The three day event ‘Hoteltechshow & Baketechshow 08, held at Rajiv Gandhi Indoor Stadium from 30th January to 1 February 2008 will showcase one of the biggest collections of hospitality and bakery equipments technology and services. The exhibition well complemented by seminars is attracting huge gatherings.
It is organized by Samanuaya Communications, a famous media company located at Hyderabad in close association with the local bodies such as Kerala Hotel & Restaurant Association and Bakers Association of Kerala. The show is aimed at bringing world class efficiency and quality into the hospitality segment in Kerala. Over 50 leading players in this field are exhibiting some of the avant garde gadgets and equipments, which would bring further impetus to this booming industry.
Open forums on hospitality management, innovative technologies and energy saving gadgets form part of the tradeshow. It focuses on various latest practices and innovations in maintaining quality, hygiene, waste management and water conservation among others. The main aim of this show is to bridge the gap between the hoteliers and equipment suppliers in a bid to popularize these gadgets.
Hospitality industry in Kerala is a booming industry, driven by the ever growing tourism sector and sustained by a thriving consumer market and it has been on a steady track for the last so many years. Hospitality industry is in fact one of the few segments that has sustained tempo and pace.
Major hospitality and tourism players as well as the state government have high reaching goals in the anvil to promote the tourism industry. Kerala is hoping to attract one lakh medical tourists by 2010. Kerala is expected to clock 11.6 % annual growth in tourism industry in the coming decade as per the figures put forwarded by the World Travel and Tourism Council. It is the highest growth rate for any tourist destination in the whole world. A spectacular feat indeed by any yardstick!
Kerala played host to 4.29 lakhs foreign tourists in 2006 making a revenue of Rs. 10,000 Crores from tourism in the same year. The number of domestic tourists for the corresponding period stood at 63 lakhs.
The spectacular increase in the number of hotels has enhanced the options for the tourists as never before. In addition it has also resulted in a healthy competition to provide the best possible services at the lowest prices ever. It is raining offers and cool bargains in God’s own country as each player vie to get the biggest pie of the customer base by flaunting their brand image and impeccable services.
Another fad among hoteliers has been to bag international standards and certifications to attract well heeled informed tourists from abroad. Government is also leaving nothing to chance and has stipulated various norms and certification procedures to keep a tag on the quality and efficacy of services offered by Kerala hotels.
Kerala Hotel & Restaurant Association is going all out to promote the latest techniques which bring the various cutting edge technologies right into their doorstep, opined K.Kuriakose, president of KHRA. Kerala is bang on target in transforming the bakery industry in Kerala on par with world-class standards.
The hotel owners are grabbing the latest energy efficiency gadgets and waste management technologies not just to cut the operational costs but also to attract the quality conscious tourists who never compromise on cleanliness and services. Ensuring more value for the money of their customers, Kerala has carved a niche in the global hospitality segment.
Fly direct to the last paradise on earth of the Maldives
Published January 23, 2008 | 
Thiruvanathapuram: The national carrier of the Maldives, Island Aviation Services Ltd will fly direct flights from Male international airport to Thiruvananthapuram international airport with effect from January 25.
The Republic of Maldives is made up of a group of atolls in the Indian Ocean and is situated to the south of the Indian islands of Lakshadweep.
Touted as ‘the last paradise on earth’, Maldives flaunts endless stretches of white sandy beaches dotted with coconut palms and azure blue waters and lagoons, which offers post card settings to the tourists. The direct flight from Thiruvanathapuram would throw open the tourism channels of this stunning island nation to thousands of tourists from Kerala. It is estimated that over 30,000 Maldivians visit the city for treatment, shopping and for educating the children. The flight service would also make their transit hassle free.
The Managing Director of IAS Bandhu I. Saleem said that it is going to be the first ever international flight of this Government owned airline from the suuny island of Maldives. The airline, which at present is only operating inter-island services will be employing 50-seater Bombardier Dash 8 aircraft on this circuit.
The Q2 700 light from Male will depart at 3.30 PM. to reach Thiruvananthapuram at 5.40 PM. In the return, the Q2 701 flight will depart at 6.10 PM. to reach Male at 7.20 PM, traversing the 417 nautical miles between Thiruvananthapuram international airport and Male international airport within 80 minutes.
The airline has appointed Spencer’s Travel Services Ltd (STSL) as the General Sales Agent of the airline and V. Stanley Paulus as the Cargo Sales Agent in the city. The special introductory fare package of the airline has a one way fare of Rs.4,468 and two way fare of Rs.8,089. This direct flight is estimated to bring in a swell in the tourism prospects of Kerala in the days to come.