Kerala offering bouquet of new products to woo tourists

Hyderabad: With the domestic and international flights returning to their pre-pandemic levels, Kerala is set to receive tourists from all parts of the country and abroad as it's offering a bouquet of new experiences and products including caravans, longer stays and customized vacations.

Tourism activities are back in full swing in the time-tested locales of the state like beaches, hill stations, backwaters and houseboats as well to host guests all through the year, and Kerala promises a variety of choices, Kerala Tourism Director VR Krishna Teja, told media here on the sidelines of a partnership meet.

In a major shift from the destination-specific approach, the whole of Kerala is reinventing itself as an ideal place for extended holidays with multiple experiences such as homestays, drive holidays, 'change of air' based wellness vacations and adventure tourism activities, he said.

The travel and tourism industry has evinced keen interest in the new products of Kerala Tourism and a busy year is ahead for the state with a steep increase in footfalls.

For Kerala, 2022 will see a series of absorbing events and festivities like the Kerala Travel Mart in May, Champions' Boat League (CBL) in August-November and Kochi Muziris Biennale in December-March besides cultural and literary fests and adventure tourism activities, Shri Teja said. Kerala has a variety of experiences for visitors like houseboats, caravan stays, jungle lodges, plantation visits, homestays and city life, ayurveda-based wellness solutions, countryside walks and adventure activities including trekking to verdant hills.

Keravan Kerala', the state's caravan tourism initiative, has elicited tremendous response from the industry within a short span of time, emerging as a major product after Kerala tourism recorded an exponential rise powered by the houseboat cruise some three decades back.