THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Tourism Department on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) in an effort to rejuvenate Kerala Tourism with innovative solutions and enhance tourism experience. The primary objective of the collaboration is the promotion of caravan tourism by establishing modern caravan parks offering unique travel experiences to attract both domestic and foreign tourists.
The other major initiatives in the pipeline are workstation/startup pods that aim to offer accommodations with co-working facilities to cater to the growing demand for remote work opportunities in popular tourist destinations. Tourism director Sikha Surendran and KSUM CEO Anoop Ambika signed the MoU in the presence of Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas at a function held at Mascot Hotel here. The collaboration is set to bring about a major transformation in the state’s tourism sector which will enable a far more hassle-free travel experience and increase tourist footfall in the state.
“By integrating innovative ideas and technology from the state’s robust startup ecosystem, Kerala can accelerate the growth of the tourism sector, especially in the context of the state’s focus on increasing foreign tourist footfall. This financial year will see technology-dominated innovations in the tourism sector and this MoU will act as a catalyst in that direction,” said Riyas, in a press release issued here on Wednesday. The partnership will also help develop attractive tourism products and present them across the globe with the help of innovative ideas and technologies. The MoU aims at setting up an innovation centre which is also the first such initiative in the country.
“Initially, we are focusing on three projects. Caravan Trails, an app that allows users to contribute to lesser-known travel destinations within the region, second is startup pods which aim to attract the tech-crowd by offering fully equipped pods in scenic locations to promote a better workstation experience. The third is to find tech-based solutions for better public restroom facilities,” said Anoop.