The Kerala Tourism pavilion, which stood on a 126 sq m space, was themed "The Magical Everyday", celebrating the festivals of Kerala.
Published Nov 09, 2023 | 11:53 AM ⚊ Updated Nov 09, 2023 | 11:53 AM
State Tourism Secretary K Biju recieving the award at World Travel Mart in London. (Kerala Tourism/ X)
With the awards coming thick and fast, yet another feather has been added to Kerala Tourism’s cap.
The Kerala Tourism pavilion at the just concluded World Travel Market (WTM) in London has won the best stand award, an official release said in Thiruvananthapuram.
According to the release, the pavilion was basking in the limelight right from day one at the leading international travel and hospitality fair that began on Monday, 6 November.
Last year at the same event, it was little-known Maravanthuruthu grama panchayat in Kerala’s Kottayam district that walked away with the honours “conserving water and improving water security and supply for neighbours”.
Kerala also stood out with its unique products on display at the show with travel and tourism industry majors from around the world showing keen interest in the state as an all-season experiential tourism hub attracting visitors from niche markets across continents, the release said.
“It’s really a big recognition for Kerala to win the award at one of the world’s largest tourism fairs. This is one of the latest in a series of international honours that came by Kerala in recent months,” Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas said.
“Kerala made a big impact at WTM 2023 where visitors to our stand, mostly representatives from global travel and hospitality majors, showed keen interest in our products and initiatives,” said State Tourism Secretary K Biju, who led the state’s delegation to WTM.
The Kerala Tourism pavilion, spread across 126 sq m, was themed “The Magical Everyday”, celebrating the festivals of Kerala. The central attraction of the stand was the huge “Kettu Kala”—a gigantic model of a pair of bulls.
Biju received the award on Wednesday, 8 November, on behalf of Kerala Tourism.
Kerala Tourism bagged top honours at the WTM London’s Best Stand Awards 2023. The State’s colourful and vibrant pavilion won the Best Stand Feature Award. The stand was based on the theme ‘The Magical Everyday’ and the highlight was the huge Kettu Kala – a gigantic effigy of a… pic.twitter.com/hryAzDQfLN
— Kerala Tourism (@KeralaTourism) November 9, 2023
On 3 November, Kerala won the prestigious Global Responsible Tourism Award 2023, for its sustainable and women-inclusive initiatives successfully promoted by the state’s Responsible Tourism (RT) Mission.
Mohammed Riyas said the state won the award instituted by the Responsible Tourism Partnership and International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT) in the “Best for Local Sourcing — Craft and Food” category.
In September, idyllic Kumarakom on the Vembanad lake, topped an all-India survey of revenue gained by hotels and resorts in popular leisure destinations. The ranking also reflected the growing preference among tourists visiting Kerala.
Kumarakom posted the highest revenue per available room (RevPar) in the financial year 2022-23.
In August, Kerala Tourism won the 2023 Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award in the Marketing Campaign (State & City – Global) category.
The state won the award for its innovative initiative to attract visitors. Conceptualised for an audience transitioning to normalcy post-COVID, the “Make up for lost time, pack up for Kerala” campaign targeted domestic tourists.
In January 2023, another feather was added to Kerala’s tourism cap. A New York Times (NYT) article included, “God’s Own Country” in its “52 Places to Go in 2023” list.
The NYT listicle, which ranked Kerala 13, also lauded the state as a “Responsible Tourism Destination”.
In November 2022 at the WTM, the Water STREET project implemented in Maravanthuruthu in the Kottayam district bagged the honour for “conserving water and improving water security and supply for neighbours”.
STREET, or Sustainable Tangible Responsible Experiential Ethnic Tourism Hubs, is a “participatory tourism development project” and one of the major initiatives of the responsible Tourism Mission of Kerala Tourism.
As part of the project, 18 canals, three rivers, and a backwater stretch flowing through Maravanthuruthu were rejuvenated.
Minister Riyas then told South First that the Water STREET project showed the world that tourism could be a tool for water conservation if connected with local economic development.
As per the plan, STREET will be implemented in 10 specially selected places of the state based on the World Tourism Organisation’s (UNWTO) new tourism motto, “Tourism for Inclusive Growth”.
“Developing/rebranding destinations into theme-based streets and widening the area of tourism activities to reduce the tourist concentration in the main points is the aim of the project,” reads an excerpt from the STREET’s concept note.
(With PTI inputs)
