Chief Minister Oommen Chandy has urged young entrepreneurs with small startup businesses in the travel and tourism sector to take advantage of digital technology which is opening up vast global markets that were once unreachable through traditional marketing tools.
He was speaking after inaugurating the country’s first International Conference on Travel Technology (ICTT) here on Friday. Chandy said that India, which was ranked 41st in terms of international tourist arrivals, had a long way to realise its full potential, given its natural and cultural attractions.
However, a key step forward is the arrival of a large number of educated youth and qualified professionals in the industry which is driving innovation and growth, he said. And technology is fuelling this surge of entrepreneurship by providing platforms to market their products and services.
“Another significant aspect is that it has enabled micro-enterprises and individuals to reach out to their markets across the seas. A home-stay in Kerala can now market itself just like one of the big hotel chains to its target audience in London or Sydney. In Kerala, we have a lot of entrepreneurs in the tourism sector and I’m sure technology will give them wings,” the CM said.
ICTT India is being organised by the Association of Tourism Trade Organisations, India (ATTOI) with the support of Kerala Tourism. Minister of State for HRD Shashi Tharoor said one of the most important uses of the internet for tourism business was review and response to customer feedback, which was increasingly influencing travellers’ decisions.
“The real danger from the web is that it is an unmediated platform. Opinions can easily be doctored or manufactured. The best way to counter fake reviews is to put out correct information,” he said.
Tourism Minister A P Anil Kumar said the Kerala Govt was among the pioneers in marketing tourism through the internet. Tourism secretary Suman Billa made a presentation on Kerala Tourism’s initiatives in IT over the past few years.
