Taking forward its strategic plans to rev up the State’s travel and hospitality sector, Kerala Tourism will be holding investors’ meet in Thiruvananthapuram on November 16, showcasing immense investment opportunities in destinations, products and initiatives that firmly mark the State as an all-season experiential tourism hub.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the Tourism Investors Meet’ (TIM), the first such initiative planned on a big scale at Hyatt Regency.

The State Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas said that the thrust areas and locations that need more investments have been identified and they will be unveiled before the investors and other stakeholders from India and abroad. “Tourism sector is a highly promising area for Kerala, whose full investment potential is yet to be tapped effectively. The investors meet will make major strides in that direction,” he said.

The event, which will be attended by around 350 investors, will unveil before the stakeholders abundant investment opportunities in the tourism sector, including hospitality, eco-tourism initiatives, adventure tourism, responsible tourism and sustainable tourism projects, the Minister said.

It will feature presentations and exhibitions highlighting various tourism investment opportunities across the state. Seminars and workshop sessions on tourism trends, project pitch sessions, round-table discussions and B2B meetings are other highlights of the conclave.

The State Government has plenty of landed and physical assets at its disposal at locations of immense tourism possibilities all over Kerala, which need to be developed in a sustainable manner to turn the entire state into one of world’s prime all-weather experiential tourism hubs, Riyas said.

Noting that the highly transient nature of tourism in the present-day world called for new strategies and approaches, the Minister said it is vital for Kerala to update, upgrade and reorient the vital sector to keep up with the current trends, demands and choices, by attracting more investment in promising locations and products.

Kerala Tourism is set to make a strategic stride from a strong foundation assiduously built over the last 25 years, based on a robust state-industry partnership. The ensuing Tourism Investors Meet will further deepen and broaden this collaboration, which has been the underpinning of Kerala’s success story as a viable tourism model, recognised and appreciated by stakeholders all over the world.

New ideas, practices and products by investors need to be leveraged by means of joint ventures, public-private partnership (PPP) models and operational arrangements. A special facilitation centre will be set up at the Tourism Directorate for providing services to investors and take forward their projects in the sector. It will impact the state’s economy and create job opportunities apart from bringing a holistic change in the tourism sector, he added.

Riyas also unveiled the logo of the Tourism Investors Meet on the occasion.

K Biju, Secretary, Tourism said the event is also an effort to increase tourism sector’s contribution to the state’s GDP from 10 to 12 per cent. He said the conclave is expected to yield substantial investment.

Tourism Director Nooh said despite the pandemic and unrest in various parts of the world, more than 1.88 crore visitors including domestic as well as foreign tourists came to Kerala in 2022.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW