Kerala Tourism has rolled out a high-tech digital facility that provides visitors all details about the experiential and service packages in the Malabar region to attract tourists to north Kerala.
A ‘SMiLE (Small and Medium Industries Leveraging Experiential Tourism) Virtual Tour Guide’ conceived by the Bekal Resorts Development Corporation (BRDC) links tourists with their places of attraction and providers of experiential services.
The SMiLE guide renders information on 40 tourist destinations, ways to reach them, plan tours and fix reminder alarm notification, besides means to share portal material, find accommodation and book rooms. The site has also helpline numbers for women and ambulance service.
Package for travellers
The SMiLE VTG was Malabar’s pioneering comprehensive package for travellers, Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said.
“It comes at a time when the State government is envisaging projects that give northern Kerala its deserving attention on the tourism map,” he added.
Tourist arrivals
“The SMiLE VTG seeks to increase tourist arrivals and generate jobs in the sector. The government provided ₹ 50 lakh to the 1995-established BRDC to come up with a tour guide under its new-age means of tourism promotion,” Tourism Secretary Rani George said.
Latest trend
The SMiLE VTG that is endowed with the latest IT-enabled services has a mobile app which offers location-based information alongside a three-minute video that plays on visiting any place in the Malabar area.
The audio and video go by the latest trend of storytelling when it comes to providing information on the history, culture and specialities of every tourist location.
Android app
The SMiLE guide works at Android mobile app, QR Code and Website ( www.bekaltourism.com ) as well.
40 destinations
Among the 40 destinations the VTG covers are Arakkal Palace (near Kannur), Bekal fort, the 1862-founded Brennen College (Thalassery), Neeleswaram Palace, the Madayipara flat-topped hillock (Kannur district), the 1505-build Kannur fort, Dharmadom Island (Thalassery), Tejaswini river (adventure rafting), Puralimala hill station (with exciting flora-fauna), Ovurberry’s Folly seaside park (Thalassery) and Pusadigumpe hillock (Manjeswaram, Kasaragod district).
