God’s Own Country sprucing up for tourist season

Putting memories of deluge behind, Kerala planning special campaign

Spirits up: The Chinese fishing net, known in Kerala as cheena vala , is every tourist’s delight. A shot from Munakkal beach near Azhikode in Thrissur .

A new campaign, focus on niche products such as adventure and MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition) tourism, and an IPL-modelled Champions Boat League in August figure in the initiatives chalked out by Kerala Tourism for the comeback phase after last year’s devastating floods.

‘It is time for Kerala’ is the new campaign to be rolled out at the national and international level to reposition God’s Own Country, increase footfall, and regain the upper hand enjoyed by Kerala Tourism in the domestic circuit over the years.

Dispelling fears

The print, visual and social media will be covered in the campaign and it is expected to give an impetus to the travel, trade and hospitality industry that is battling a dip in tourist arrivals and dispel fears about holidaying here.

Special campaigns will be taken up in West Asia, one of the emerging markets for Kerala, targeting arrivals in June, July, and August.

IPL-like Boat League

The Champions Boat League that could not take off last year will be held from August.

The sixth edition of Blog Express will be made more professional with focus on select destinations. Instead of a single itinerary, the authorities are planning to split the selected bloggers into two groups and focus on north, central and south Kerala.

The initiatives chalked out by Kerala Tourism were presented to the stakeholders during a recent tourism advisory meeting and focus group on marketing. The participation in roadshows, tourism fairs and festivals was also finalised.

“The action plan, post-flood campaign, Kerala Travel Mart, and Kochi-Muziris Biennale have helped the market make a comeback. More trips for travel writers, social media influencers and bloggers from within the country and abroad will be arranged in the coming months,” Secretary, Tourism, Rani George told The Hindu .

Promotional activities in select national and international markets and more focus on north Kerala to leverage the connectivity through the new Kannur airport and thrust on the Malabar River Cruise, Thalassery Heritage, Muziris Heritage, and Alappuzha Heritage projects also figure in the new initiatives.