In an aggressive bid to bounce back to pre-pandemic numbers in international tourist arrivals, Kerala Tourism conducted B2B meets in two key cities of West Asia this week — Muscat, the capital city of Oman, and Manama, the capital and the largest city of Bahrain.
The official delegation at these two roadshows was led by K.S. Srinivas, Principal Secretary, Kerala Tourism, and V.R. Krishna Teja Mylavarapu, Director, Kerala Tourism.
Amit Narang, Indian Ambassador to Oman, and Piyush Srivastava, Ambassador of India to Bahrain, attended the roadshows in Muscat and Manama respectively as chief guest.
Strategic market
Mr. Srinivas said West Asia was a strategic market for Kerala Tourism in terms of tourist arrivals during June-August. “Kerala’s monsoon is an ideal time for the tourists from West Asia, and many of them opt for the State’s Ayurveda and holistic wellness treatments during this time,” he added.
Noting that Kerala had witnessed a record number of international tourist arrivals in 2019, he said: “Our efforts are now geared towards hitting those numbers again with a string of new products and events.”
Mr. Teja gave a presentation on Kerala’s pitch to West Asia as a ‘Paradise, Four Hours Away’. New products and events such as Keravan Kerala (Caravan Tourism) and Champions Boat League were also showcased.
Enthusiastic interactions
The B2B meets witnessed enthusiastic and successful interactions between Kerala Tourism trade partners in the private sector and buyers from Muscat and Manama. A ‘Go Kerala’ lucky draw contest was conducted and two winners are entitled to a seven-night holiday in Kerala.
The State had received ₹10,271 crore in foreign exchange in 2019, underlining the vital role of international tourist arrivals in its economy.
The State had showcased its tourist attractions in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) held in Dubai recently.
