Green Carpet Workshop Was Conducted By Kerala Tourism

Kerala Tourism Conducts 

Green Carpet Workshop

Kerala can be proudly called ‘God's Own Country’ only when efforts are put in place to ensure security, cleanliness, hygiene, and scientific waste management, apart from offering unique experiences, Mr. Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Tourism, Kerala, has said.

The minister was speaking while inaugurating a two-day workshop by Kerala Tourism held as part of the Green Carpet initiative which he said would go a long way towards achieving these goals.

The minister also remarked that tourism activities should not be confined to just a few tourist centres, but should be extended to other centres as well. 

The workshop was aimed at ensuring sustainable development and maintenance of 79 select tourist destinations. A blueprint for 111 short term and long term projects was designed in the workshop.

"The 79 tourist destinations selected for the first phase of the Green Carpet initiative will be turned into distinctive tourism friendly centres," said Mr. U. V. Jose, Director, Kerala Tourism, at the concluding meet.

Mr. S. Harikishore IAS,  Executive Director , Kudumbashree,  Ms. Vasuki IAS, Executive Director, Suchitwa Mission, Mr. S. Sugathan, Executive Director, Green Village,  Mr. G. Shankar, Director, Habitat, Mr. Roopesh Kumar, State Field Coordinator, Responsible Tourism, Mr. S. D. Prins, PRO, Raj Bhavan, Dr. Shekhar L. Kuriakose, Member Secretary , Disaster Management Authority , Dr V. Vijayakumar, Principal, KITTS, Prof. Saroop Roy, and Prof. Raghunandanan (IRCTC) conducted classes on various topics. 

Destination Managers of tourist destinations, Deputy Directors, and District Tourism Promotional Council (DTPC) Secretaries attended the workshop at Maria Rani Centre, Sreekaryam. 

Source : Kerala Tourism

Best Leisure Destination Award Is Given To Kerala

Kerala Voted Best Leisure Destination in India 

by Condé Nast Traveller

Kerala has clinched the big prize as India’s best destination for leisure at the Condé Nast Traveller Readers’ Awards 2016.

Kerala bagged the award close on the heels of clinching two major popularity awards with the Lonely Planet magazine citing it as the best family destination in India and Travel + Leisure magazine listing it as a top honeymooners’ destination.

The state was voted the ‘Favourite Indian Leisure Destination’ of the year in a survey conducted by the international travel magazine. Kerala, which had won the runner-up prize in the same category in 2015, shared the top honour with Goa this year.

Mr. K. Radhakrishnan, Deputy Director, Kerala Tourism received the travel award at a glittering ceremony held at The Lodhi hotel in New Delhi. Mr. Vinod Zutshi, Secretary, Union Tourism, was the Chief Guest.

The annual awards, in their sixth year, honour the best in travel, tourism, and hospitality with winners in various categories picked by readers of the magazine through a voting process spanning two months.

“We are honoured to be recognised as a place to relax and rejuvenate by the travellers to our state. Kerala is known for its natural beauty and the state’s historical connections with many other parts of the world have contributed to its popularity as a top destination for leisure,” said Mr. Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Tourism, Kerala.

Dr. Venu V., Principal Secretary, Kerala Tourism, remarked that the award reaffirmed the state’s reputation for being a tourist’s paradise.

“Be it a stay on a houseboat on one of its numerous serene backwaters, relaxing on the pristine beaches, experiencing the bliss of village life, watching traditional art performances or relishing its lip smacking cuisine, Kerala offers a perfect all-in-one leisure experience to travellers from near and far. The options for leisure travel in Kerala are limitless,” Dr. Venu said.

“The award reflects the diversity of leisure-based offerings in Kerala today as well as the quality of their branding. Visitors looking to unwind here know they have an abundance of choices to pick from. The results of their positive experiences here have shown up through the state’s consistently strong showings at such prestigious tourism and travel awards,” said Mr. U.V. Jose, Director, Kerala Tourism. 

Source : Kerala tourism