Kerala Tourism plans a slew of initiatives to attract tourists from untapped markets across the country, laying special thrust on Tier II ad III cities.

A big delegation from Kerala Tourism held a business to business (B2B) meeting here showcasing the latest initiatives by the Kerala Government, to attract more visitors to the God's Own Country.

More on cards

Speaking to Business Line , Mr E. Devadasan, Additional Director, Department of Tourism, Kerala, and Mr Suresh Kumar, Deputy Director, Tourism, Kerala, said they plan to hold about 18-20 such meetings across the country, to communicate the wonderful things Kerala has to offer them.

partnerships

These events also serve as a platform for tour operators to strike partnerships.

“We are yet to finalise the targets for tourist arrivals during the current year. But are confident that we will be able to tract higher numbers if the performance of last two years is any indication,” Mr Kumar said.

“During 2009, Kerala attracted about 79.1 lakh domestic travellers and about 5.57 lakh international visitors.

“In 2010, this number was up 85.9 lakh, reflecting an increase of 8.6 per cent. The international travel numbers was up 18 per cent at about 6.59 crore.

“The number of international travellers has gone up after we held road shows in potential markets abroad,” Mr Kumar said. About 25 per cent of foreign visitors are from the UK, followed by France and Germany. The Tourism Department has deployed IT extensively, making it swift and easy to book online. “We are also starting a new scheme where non-resident Keralite will be rewarded for referring Kerala as a tourism destination, they said.

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