KOCHI: The state government has begun strengthening investments in infrastructure development, capacity building and marketing for the growth of the travel and hospitality industry. This was conveyed by Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas while opening the second edition of the virtual Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) on Tuesday.
“The Department of Tourism will intensify its marketing activities to further capitalise on the momentum created in the post-pandemic phase to enhance the footfall of both domestic and foreign visitors in the coming tourism season,” the minister said.
According to Minister P Rajeeve, ‘Emerging Kerala’, held by the government in 2012, initiated the process of transforming the state into a preferred investment destination. “Kerala has a huge social capital which is now paying rich dividends in terms of a highly qualified and skilled workforce,” he said.
Kerala Tourism principal secretary K S Srinivas said KTM has become one of the country’s successful examples of private-public partnership. “Over the past two decades, KTM has evolved as one of the largest tourism buyer-seller events,” he said. Meanwhile, KTM president Baby Mathew Somatheeram said 120 foreign and 395 domestic buyers registered for the meet.
“Through state-of-the-art software, they will hold virtual one-on-ones with 245 tourism investors,” he added.