THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Close on the heels of its successful participation in the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, Kerala Tourism conducted B2B meets in another two key cities of the Middle East -- Muscat, the capital city of Oman, and Manama, the capital and the largest city of Bahrain, in an aggressive bid to bounce back to pre-pandemic numbers in international tourist arrivals.
The business meets were held in Muscat on Tuesday and in Manama on Wednesday with the objective of regaining confidence in the Middle East, a key tourism market for Kerala, and firmly putting the state in the tourists’ itineraries. The official delegation at these two roadshows was led by Tourism Secretary K S Srinivas and Tourism Director V R Krishna Teja Mylavarapu.
Amit Narang, Indian Ambassador to Oman, and Piyush Srivastava, Ambassador of India to Bahrain, attended the roadshows in Muscat and Manama, respectively, as chief guests. Srinivas said the Middle East is a strategic market for Kerala Tourism in terms of tourist arrivals during June-August, which is the summer holiday period there, and the residents travel to cooler climes to escape from the blistering summer heat. “Kerala’s monsoon is an ideal time for the tourists from the Middle East and many of them also opt for the state’s Ayurveda and holistic wellness treatments during this time,” he added.
Noting that Kerala had witnessed a record number of international tourist arrivals in 2019, he said, “Our efforts are now geared towards hitting those numbers again with a string of new products and events.”
The tourism director gave a presentation on Kerala’s pitch to the Middle East as a ‘Paradise, Four Hours Away’. New products and events such as Keravan Kerala and Champions Boat League were showcased.
“B2B marketing will become a key factor, especially in international markets, as unlike in earlier seasons, Kerala will have to start with zero bookings. It thus becomes imperative for Kerala Tourism to accelerate its visibility in the B2B segments and register a significant increase in tourist arrivals from overseas,” Teja said.