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Our Bureau

Bangalore, Aug. 26

With total domestic tourist arrivals to Kerala showing a 15 per cent increase during January-March over the corresponding period last year, Kerala Tourism is stepping up efforts to attract more visitors by introducing several innovative programmes.

Foreign tourist arrivals to the State in 2007 have recorded a 20 per cent increase; total revenue from tourism during 2007 was Rs 11,433 crore, up 25.28 per cent over the previous year.

“We want to sustain this momentum by introducing special packages and products,” said Mr Sivasankar, Director, Kerala Tourism. A special campaign, Dream Season, has been launched targeting domestic tourists to convert the traditional off-season months — April-October — into months of opportunities. A special Web site, www.keralatourism.org/dreamseason, has also been launched for this purpose.

Special packages for tourists travelling during the Dussera holidays have been introduced too. The Tourism Department also offers a ‘Dream Weekend’ at Wayanad. “The focus is on tourists from Bangalore, Mysore, Mangalore, Coimbatore and Chennai,” said Mr Sivasankar.

The road shows that the tourism board is conducting across cities will showcase specific products such as rural tourism, eco-tourism and responsible tourism destinations, he added.

Fifteen of the 26 locations identified for rural tourism in the country are ready now, out of which two — Aranmula and Kumbalangi — are located in Kerala. One eco-tourism destination has been developed in each district over the last two years by the Vanasamrakshana Samitis.

Thenmala, the country’s first planned eco-tourism destination, will be one of the eco-tourism destinations on offer. Responsible tourism initiatives have begun to bear fruit, and two locations — Kumarakom and Kovalam — have matured, said Mr Sivasankar. Two more, Wayanad and Kumily, are getting ready.

The 2008 edition of the Kerala Travel Mart, a biennial event showcasing the best of the State, will be held in Kochi from September 20 to 23. The Grand Kerala Shopping Festival will be held from December 1 to January 15. The State Government has already earmarked Rs 20 crore in the budget for the festival.

More Stories on : Tourism | Kerala

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