Kerala Tourism department will be holding a investors’ meet in the capital city on November 16 showcasing investment opportunities in destinations, products and initiatives that define the State as an all-season experiential tourism hub.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the ‘Tourism Investors Meet’ (TIM) and Minister for Tourism P.A. Mohamed Riyas will preside over the opening session. Investors from India and abroad are expected to attend the event.
Mr. Riyas said the thrust areas and locations that need more investments had been identified and they would be unveiled before the investors and other stakeholders from across the world.
“Kerala is yet to tap the investment potential of the tourism sector. The meet will make major strides in that direction,” Mr. Riyas said.
The event, which will be attended by around 350 investors, will unveil the 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, roundtable discussions and Business-to-business (B2B) meetings are other highlights of the conclave.
The State government has plenty of land and physical assets at its disposal in 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, Mr. 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 was 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.
Mr. Riyas said new ideas, practises and products by investors would be leveraged by means of joint ventures, public-private partnership (PPP) models and operational arrangements.
The Minister also unveiled the logo of the Tourism Investors Meet. Tourism secretary K. Biju and Tourism Director Nooh were present.