GUWAHATI, Feb 22 � The Government of Kerala is keen to attract more tourists from the North East. With the flow of domestic tourist going up every year, Kerala is eyeing to woo backpackers from Assam to its growing number of domestic tourists.
On Tuesday, a slice of Kerala got unfolded in the capital city introducing the uninitiated to the marvels of the State, referred to as �God�s Own Country�. Artistes from that State enthralled Guwahatians with performances that highlighted the cultural treasure trove of the southern state.
According to TV Prasanth, Kerala�s Tourist Information Officer who was in the city for promoting Kerala in the travel itinerary of the people of North East, compared to 93.88 lakh domestic tourists in 2011, 1.01 crore domestic tourists visited Kerala in 2012.
�Kerala witnessed 7.94 lakh foreign tourists arrival in 2012 as compared to 7.33 lakh in 2011. The foreign exchange earning had also gone up from Rs 4221.99 crore in 2011 to Rs. 4548 crore in 2012. The total revenue, both direct and indirect from tourism, touched Rs 21,125 crore in 2012 compared to Rs 19,037 crore in 2011,� said Prasanth.
Prasanth further said that the Government of Kerala has rolled out two new initiatives �Seaplane Project� and �Project Muziris� in order to enhance the travel experience and add to its array of tourist sites. While the former project is aimed towards improving last mile connectivity by air to its destinations across the state, the latter is directed to reinstate the historical and cultural significance of the legendary port of Muziris.
The Muziris Heritage Site (MHS) stretches across from the municipality of North Paravur in Ernakulam district to that of Kodungalloor in Thrissur district. The project�s objective is to promote awareness and understanding of the cultural distinctiveness and diversity of Muziris. More than 25 museums are there to showcase the Muziris heritage.
Another amazing initiative in the offing is the Spice Route Revival Project. Kerala's initiative to revive and promote the two millennia-old spice route, that links the south western coast of India to Europe, through tourism has received a boost, with the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) pledging support to the venture.
Kerala Tourism has come out with another unique nature-based soft adventure holidays program Natventure. The idea behind this is to use the key tourism products - wildlife, hill stations, beaches, backwaters, etc and engage the possibilities of adventure activities they present. Kerala Natventure activities include trekking, camping, rock climbing, jungle, wildlife safaris, bird watching, cycling, kayaking, canoeing and paragliding.
�We have tapped into the vast potential of information technology for promoting Kerala Tourism in the global market,� Prasanth added.
