THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Traditional tourist-information centres, like the ones at airports, railway stations, etc., are set to be replaced with state-of-the-art kiosks enabled with chatbots. The tourism department has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Kerala Startup Mission to this effect.
According to official sources, besides the traditional locations, the kiosks would be strategically located at IT parks, as technology-sector workers form a key segment of domestic travellers in the state.
The inking of the MoU is imminent, a department official said. The government plans to introduce the kiosks immediately.
“The tourist information centres were not serving their purpose and the government has shut down existing ones. The kiosks are very sleek and don’t require much space, unlike information centres. Moreover, they will offer information in multiple languages and the service will be available round the clock,” the official said.
As many as 10 startups have come forward with proposals and concepts for the kiosks. “The technical evaluation of proposals has been completed and financial appraisal is under way. We will be able to issue the work order by January so that the project is rolled out immediately,” the official added.
The user-friendly kiosks will provide all necessary tourist information in just a few clicks, covering key topics such as distance to popular locations, must-see attractions and available tour packages. A KSUM official said that besides information dissemination and guidance, the kiosks will offer other services like hotel booking, cab booking, railway booking, etc.
“We are awaiting the MoU. There are a lot of possibilities that can be explored, including virtual reality tours of destinations. All this will happen in a phased manner,” the official said.