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The DayAfter
Story
Boosting Agriculture, Government Style |
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A Unique Blend of Inherent Strengths and Focused Marketing |
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The State gives prime importance to 'synergy' or the private-public partnership that is evident in all the tourism activities, from conceptualisation to project execution. The State focuses on the building of infrastructure, marketing of the destination and creation of an environment where the private sector can invest and generate wealth for itself and society. A shift from mass tourism to quality tourism has done wonders for the State. The State has adopted the latest developments in IT for the marketing of the State and shifted focus from the print media to the electronic media. The State now has a website that is one of the best in the world and a TV commercial that won rave reviews. Kerala gives importance to sustainable development of tourism and is home to some of the best ecotourism projects of the world. It became the first State in India to go in for legislation, the Tourism (Conversation, Preservation and Trade) Bill, to usher in quality control in its tourism products. The State also launched several other initiatives including a toll-free phone service. It signed MoUs with Indian Airlines and Indian Railways in order to attract more upmarket tourists to the State. A unique strategy Kerala Tourism
adopted for marketing the State worldwide involved roping in celebrities
as brand ambassadors and using their works for promotional activities.
Artists who have contributed their works for the State include renowned
painters, M. F. Hussain, who painted a series on Kerala titled 'Kalyanikuttiyude
Keralam' and Yusuf Arakkal who did 'A Creative Journey through Kerala'. |
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| Kerala sets new trend in tourism development | |
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Kerala
has established itself as India's No. 1 tourist destination, and carved
a prominent niche for itself on the international tourism map. Foreign tourist arrivals to Kerala have gone up from 104,568 in 1994 to 211,564 in 2000 (102% within 6 years) and domestic arrivals from 1,284,375 in 1994 to 5,156,478 in 2000. (Almost 300% in 6 years). Total revenue from tourism in Kerala is Rs. 4,000 crores. The revenue has increased more than 125% in the last five years. Total employment in the tourism sector in the State is estimated at 7 lakhs. State Plan allocation for tourism has gone up from Rs. 6 crores in 1994 - 95 to Rs. 85 crores in 2002-2003 The total investment in tourism projects in the State for the last four years is to the order of Rs. 1,000 crores. Kerala was also selected as the partner state of WTTC (World Travel and Tourism Council) recently 'on account of its being a progressive and dynamic state and possessing a wealth of physical, cultural and social attributes'. The WTTC is an apex group of leaders from the world's foremost airlines, hotels and travel related agencies. Kerala Tourism has become famous for its two unique products: Ayurveda and houseboats. Both these products are popular in the international market as the concept of 'Wellness holiday' is gaining ground. A host of national and international hotel chains are present in Kerala. International chains like Golden Tulip, Le Meridian, Best Western and prominent national chains like Taj, Oberoi, Sarovar Park Plaza Group, etc. have properties in Kerala. In recent times Kerala has been the fastest growing and the most widely acclaimed destination in India. They are: 'One of the ten paradise of the World' : National Geographic Traveller 'Where the smart traveller goes': Financial Times - London 'One of the 100 great trips for the 21st century' : Travel & Leisure 'One of the ten hot spots of the millennium': - Emirates In-flight Magazine 'One of the best breakfasts of the world': Travel & Leisure 'One of the six destinations of the lifetime': Khaleej Times 'One of the ten love nests in India' : Cosmopolitan 'State of enlightenment' : National Geographic Traveller 'Afoot and afloat, Kerala is worth the journey' : Time 'Where India flows at a relaxed pace' : The New York Times 'It is truly God's Own Country' : Sir
Paul McCartney. |
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| Kumarakom Lake Resort | |
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The State of Kerala in India is known worldwide as possessing one of the most beautiful and diversified natural panoramas. From placid lakes, inland waterways and pristine beaches to a culture rich with traditions unique to the State, Kerala has it all. Evergreen forests, mountain ranges, gorges and valleys, nature has endowed Kerala with a largesse of all that is as assorted as it is awe-inspiring. A tourist can spend months in Kerala without exhausting its natural richness and enchanting, well-preserved heritage. But, in today’s world, how many of us can afford to take out so much time from our hard-pressed lives. But one need not worry. The essence of Kerala has been distilled into 12 acres of a magical world—The Kumarakom Lake Resort. Seventy km from Kochi International Airport, 171 km from Thiruvanthapuram International Airport and just 14 km from Kottayam town is the lovely island of Kumarakom which houses the Lake Resort, comprising 50 well-furnished villas in five categories: Heritage Canal View, Heritage Lake View, Meandering Pool (Standard and Duplex) and Presidential Suites—each with its own swimming pool. On this enchanted island (10 minutes by speedboat from Muhamma jetty), the best modern conveniences and the carefully preserved natural landscape and heritage of Kerala have been seamlessly fused into a passionate experience that offers the best of both worlds. Promoted by Paul Jones, a dynamic NRI, now living in Tampa, Fl., U. S. A. and Jose T. Pattara, an immensely experienced entrepreneur in the hotel, resorts and publishing businesses and designed by Tony Joseph Kainady, a post-graduate in Design (M.Arch) from the University of Texas, U. S. A., only a visit to the Kumarakom Lake Resort can do full justice to its magical and mystical qualities. |
Kerala,
the beautiful green strip of land in the southwestern tip of India, has
today taken huge strides in the field of tourism. A State blessed with
natural beauty, Kerala's success is a blend of inherent strengths and a
unique marketing strategy.