Tag Archives: P A Mohamed Riyas

Kerala Tourism to Organise B2B Meet on Malabar’s Tourism Potential in Kozhikode on Dec 27

Kerala Tourism is set to highlight Malabar’s rich tourism potential with a Business-to-Business (B2B) meet on December 27 in Kozhikode. The event, titled ‘Gateway to Malabar: A Tourism B2B Meet’, aims to connect key players from India’s travel and tourism industry and foster meaningful collaborations. Organized by Kerala Tourism in partnership with Metro Expedition and the Beypore International Water Fest, the event will showcase Malabar’s unique attractions, including its adventure offerings, culinary delights, vibrant arts, captivating folklore, and rich heritage. The meet will take place at The Raviz Kadavu, Kozhikode, from 10 am to 8 pm.

“Designed to position Malabar as a top travel destination, the B2B meet most importantly aims to foster connections between local service providers, leading tour operators, and industry experts,” said Tourism Minister P. A. Mohamed Riyas.
“Malabar has enormous tourism potential that needs to be tapped, to usher it into the league of other well-known tourism destinations of the state. This B2B meet will strive to build partnerships and enhance Malabar’s visibility on the national and international tourism map,” he added.

The B2B meet, to be held as part of the December 27-29 Beypore International Water Fest in Kozhikode, will serve as a platform for networking opportunities with senior decision-makers and tourism industry experts. The participants will also get insights into potential investments and collaboration opportunities through high-value business interactions.

More importantly, business leaders will experience Malabar’s adventure tourism potential first hand and a brush with the region’s culinary heritage, arts, folklore, and traditions. It will also facilitate their access to the Beypore International Water Fest, India’s largest water festival which will be held across the scenic venues of Beypore, Chaliyam and Nallur in Kozhikode in a spectacular combination of adventure sports, cultural festivities and culinary celebrations.

Tour operators and travel agents from outside Kerala will be part of a partially hosted programme that includes two nights’ accommodation, meals and no travel charges.

Kerala has been proactively making progress on tourism development front.

Kerala Tourism revamps multilingual website to attract global travellers

In a landmark move to enhance its global appeal, Kerala’s Tourism Department has launched a revamped, multilingual website featuring advanced technology and interactive tools.

Now accessible in over 20 languages, the platform aims to establish Kerala as a leading international tourism destination by providing seamless access to information, certified accommodations, and personalised travel planning.

State Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas highlighted the user-friendly design and interactive features of the portal, emphasizing its role as a comprehensive digital guide for travelers.

The website offers improved navigation, multimedia content, and tools like travel planners and e-newsletters, showcasing Kerala’s unique cultural and natural attractions. This innovation underlines the state’s commitment to leveraging technology for a superior tourism experience.

Govt approves INR 6.64 cr Responsible Tourism projects

 

The Kerala Government has approved projects worth INR 6.64 crore to boost its Responsible Tourism (RT) initiative for 2024-25, focusing on sustainability and inclusiveness across key destinations like Kumarakom and Beypore. The Responsible/Resilient Tourism project will receive INR 1.81 crore, while INR 1.15 crore has been allocated for the Beypore Integrated RT Development Project.

Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas emphasised the importance of RT in Kerala’s tourism future, noting recent national awards won by projects in Kanthalloor, Kadalundi, and Kumarakom for rural and agri-tourism excellence.

INR 1 crore has been earmarked for RT promotion and marketing activities, while INR 90.99 lakh will fund phase two of the RT Mission Society projects. The RT initiative will benefit destinations across the state, including Valiyaparamba, Dharmadam, and Thirunelli.

Additionally, INR 38.10 lakh has been allocated for training programmes at the RT Mission Society Training Centre in Kumarakom, which will focus on integrating digital marketing and AI in tourism, along with training for community leaders and tourism promoters.

Since its inception in 2008, Kerala’s RT initiative has expanded into a large grassroots network, benefiting over 1.5 lakh families and significantly contributing to sustainable and inclusive tourism development across the state.

Kerala to launch Wayanad-focused tourism promotion in Bengaluru

Kerala is launching a campaign in Bengaluru with focus on tourism in Wayanad as part of efforts to sustain travel and tourism in the hill district that underwent a calamity recently, Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas has said.

The Minister revealed this while addressing a meeting of tourism sector stakeholders from Wayanad, Kannur and Kozhikode convened. Representatives of various tourism sector organisations, entrepreneurs and service providers attended the meet in Kozhikode.

Cinema houses in Bengaluru will display advertisements featuring Wayanad tourism, while the FM radios will feed news related to the natural beauty and hospitality facilities in Kerala’s north-eastern district bordering Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, he told reporters.

Recalling that a similar campaign in 2021 had benefited Wayanad tourism, the Tourism Minister noted that the scenic district has become a weekend destination for Bangaloreans. “The July 30 landslides gave the travellers a scare. We need to get over this phase,” he added.

Noting that the disaster has affected Wayanad’s tourism sector in several ways, Riyas said the consequent lull in economic activities has badly affected all stakeholders, from small traders to resort owners. “We see direct instances of the hardships. For instance, the men and women selling honey and gooseberries. Their business is terribly down,” he pointed out, highlighting the need for a revival of tourism in Wayanad. “The government is making all possible moves towards this mission.”

As for rehabilitation, the Minister said the “change has been wonderful”. The government intends to address the concerns of all people, he added. “The result will be a permanent asset to Wayanad. All suggestions are welcome. You have full support from the government.”

Another high-level meeting in Thiruvananthapuram later will take up the recommendations received and share them with the Chief Minister. “We will discuss these suggestions with other departments as well. By this December we hope to restore normalcy in Wayanad in ways that enable resumption of full-fledged tourism activities,” Riyas said.

Yesterday’s meeting was attended by a total of around 35 representatives across the three districts. Representatives from Wayanad Tourism Organization (WTO), HATS (Homestay Kerala), Tourist Guide Association, Wayanad Eco Tourism Association, Wayanad Hotel and Restaurant Association, Wayanad Tourism Association, All Kerala Tourism Association, North Wayanad Tourism Association, Karapuzha Adventure Tourism Association and Tourism Guide Association.

Also present at the meeting were eight tourism organizations from Kozhikode district namely HATS (Homestay Kerala), Malabar Tourism Association, Malabar Tourism Council, Farm Tourism,Destination Kozhikode, Kerala Travel Mart, Hotel and Restaurant Association and Sargalaya.

Malabar Tourism Development Corporation and District Tourism Guides Association represented stakeholders from Kannur district.

Vishnu Raj P, Additional Director (General), Shri D Gireesh Kumar, Joint Director Tourism, and Satyajit S, Deputy Director, from the Department of Tourism were also present.

Kerala Tourism’s ‘Holiday Heist’ campaign on Maya ChatBot wins PATA Gold Award

Kerala Tourism has won the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award 2024 for its online contest ‘Holiday Heist’ in Digital Marketing Campaign category, marking a big endorsement of its innovative initiatives to attract visitors.

‘Holiday Heist’, the month-long ground-breaking campaign was launched in July 2023 to woo tourists through an engaging and thrilling bidding game on the Tourism Department’s WhatsApp ChatBot Maya. Right from the start, it turned out to be a resounding success with travellers from across the country making a whopping 80,000 bids to visit the state’s prime destinations at low prices.

The bidding game, conducted in July 2023, also generated over 45 million impressions besides amassing a formidable 13 million plus video views.

The first-ever initiative of its kind in the country, some lucky participants, through their ingenious bids, managed to secure tour packages worth over Rs 30,000 for a mere 5 rupees.

Interestingly, throughout the campaign period, ‘Maya’, the Kerala Tourism ChatBot, witnessed a remarkable 5.2 lakh interactions, bubbling with shared enthusiasm, dreams, and aspirations as participants bonded over their love for travel in and exploration of God’s Own Country.

The unique game revolved around the concept of ‘lowest unique bidding’, challenging participants to secure incredible tour packages with their lowest and distinctive bids. Unlike traditional auctions, strategic thinking and creativity were at the forefront, celebrating the uniqueness of each player.

The exciting campaign was powered by ‘Maya’, Kerala Tourism’s official WhatsApp ChatBot (reachable at 7510512345). Throughout the campaign period, Maya daily unveiled new tour packages for 30 days, providing participants fresh chances to triumph in each day of July last year.

The PATA Gold Award 2024 will be presented to Kerala Tourism at a function to be held at Queen Sirikit National Convention Center, Bangkok, Thailand on August 28.

Terming ‘Holiday Heist’ as a milestone in tourism marketing by tourist destinations of the country, Tourism Minister P. A. Mohamed Riyas said the innovative campaign redefined tour package promotions, besides inspiring strategic thinking, creativity and kindling the spirit of adventure.

“The award is a vital recognition of Kerala Tourism’s aggressive promotional campaign, through which we were able to woo back tourists post-pandemic era. We have to keep up the momentum of growth by introducing brilliant and novel concepts like this in the sector,” he said.

Riyas said the campaign also had instilled huge confidence among stakeholders with its phenomenal response from visitors.

Kerala Tourism Secretary K Biju said the campaign played a key role in ensuring a massive uptick in the number of domestic tourists.

Tourism Director Sikha Surendran said it is significant this global honour has been bestowed on Kerala Tourism at a time when the state witnesses a sharp increase in arrival of holiday-makers from all key markets around the world.

Set up in 1984, the PATA Grand and Gold Awards recognise the finest contributions from the travel industry in the Asia- Pacific region with the winning projects consistently creating benchmarks for excellence and creativity.

 

Kerala explores tourism partnership with Cuba

Kerala Tourism is set to explore possible collaboration with Cuba in the tourism sector. This initiative was highlighted during an interaction between Kerala’s Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas and Abel Despaigne, Charge d’ Affaires of the Embassy of the Republic of Cuba in India, held in Thiruvananthapuram.

During his nine-day visit to Kerala, Despaigne emphasised the historical significance of political and cultural exchanges between Kerala and Cuba. He noted the importance of extending this cooperation to the tourism sector, acknowledging the mutual benefits that such collaboration could bring. He presented an overview of Cuban tourism, highlighting similarities with Kerala, particularly in focusing on landscapes adjacent to the sea.

K. Biju, Tourism Secretary, Kerala, who presided over the function, stated that the state is eager to associate with the island nation in North America. He emphasised that possibilities of collaboration with Cuba in the tourism sector will be thoroughly examined.

Riyas, remarked on Kerala’s reputation as a futuristic tourism destination, attracting visitors from across the globe through innovative tourism initiatives and products aligned with emerging trends.