THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: To woo more tourists from the Arab countries, Kerala Tourism will participate in the Arabian Travel Mart beginning in Dubai on April 22. The foreign tourist arrival to Kerala from West Asia has been on the rise in recent times, with tourists from the United Arab Emirates going up by 2.64 per cent in 2017. Tourists from other countries in the region such as Kuwait and Oman have also gone up, registering a growth of 14.33 per cent and 5.75 per cent respectively over the past year.
The Kerala delegation led by Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran and Kerala Tourism additional director Jafar Malik will participate in the Arabian Travel Mart and the subsequent travel fairs. The Kerala Stand at the travel fair will be set up within the Indian pavilion and will have six co-exhibitors, including two tour operators and three resorts, along with Kerala Tourism.
Once the Arabian Travel Mart gets over on April 25, Kerala Tourism will organise as many as three B2B meets in Riyadh, on April 29, Dammam, on May 1, and Manama, on May 2. The Kerala Tourism delegation for these B2B meets will have as many as 16 sellers, including tour operators, hotels and resorts.According to Kadakampally Surendran, Kerala Tourism’s presence at the Arabian Travel Mart and the B2B meets will help Kerala tap into various possibilities.
Tourism secretary Rani George said the B2B meets, being organised in high-potential markets, are expected to provide additional opportunities to display the charm of Kerala to a wider audience. It will open up newer avenues to display Kerala as an ideal tourist destination, said Kerala Tourism director P Balakiran.