THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Ten bloggers will have their first taste of Kerala as the department of tourism launches ‘My First Trip’, a campaign to promote the state among domestic travellers in the country.Devised on the lines of the much famed Kerala Blog Express, the six-day campaign ‘Kerala Blog Express Influencer Engagement Activity’ will see bloggers and social media influencers travel to major destinations in Kerala and feature these tourist locations on their social media handles, thereby announcing the readiness of the state for domestic travellers.
“Our target group is the domestic traveller community, especially those in neighbouring states. Our tourist destinations are open, following Covid-19 protocols and this campaign will show our readiness for hosting the travel community,” a tourism official said.
The campaign was devised even before the pandemic as the Indian counterpart of the international campaign Kerala Blog Express which brings bloggers from around the world to the state to promote destinations in Kerala. “All the bloggers arriving as part of the campaign are first-time visitors to the state and as they will be experiencing the state for the first time, their excitement will be felt in their social media updates. The 10 bloggers will have different itineraries and the major destinations in 14 districts will be covered in six days,” he added. The campaign is conceived by Stark Communications, Kerala Tourism’s creative and brand management agency.
The first day will see the travellers go to locations such as Poovar, Kovalam and so on in Thiruvananthapuram, followed by other major destinations in other districts. The bloggers will travel to hill stations, beaches, backwaters, and experience village life and share their impressions on social media handles.The first edition of the domestic campaign will be flagged off from the capital on March 25. The bloggers will leave the state on March 31 from Kochi. The iconic luxury bus which normally ferries bloggers will be absent this time on account of the pandemic and each blogger will travel in a branded Innova accompanied by a tourism information officer.