HBI Staff | Hyderabad 
Keeping with the strategy of consistently diversifying its offerings in the tourism sector, Kerala has drawn up ambitious plans to promote the state as a “leading choice” for MICE Tourism and Destination Weddings, Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas said.
Addressing Kerala Travel Mart (KTM), Asia’s biggest tourism industry event that opened here last night, the Minister said given its advantages and ambience, the state has all the potential to soon emerge as South Asia’s hub in these two highly promising segments.
“While Kerala has for long been celebrated as a favorite holiday destination worldwide, we now seek to emerge as the leading choice for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibition) tourism along with Destination Weddings,” Shri Riyas said.
As a state that promotes innovation, the state will soon have an incubation center for startups in the tourism sector, the Minister announced.
Noting that Kerala has world class infrastructure and ambience to tap the huge potential of the MICE segment, he said “our beautiful state stretching over 580 kilometers is home to four international airports, creating easy access for travelers from around the world”.
The state’s connectivity is set to leap forward with the completion of the national highway by next year along with greenfield, coastal and hilly highways. “No major destination of the state is more than a few hours away for the visitors—be it serene beaches, backwaters or stunning hill stations,” he said.
With major ports in Kochi and Vizhinjam and the Kochi Water Metro, combined with an extensive network of road transportation along with world class hotels, and convention centres, Kerala is set to offer unforgettable experiences for MICE travelers, the Minister said.
He recalled the successful hosting of the G20 meetings in Kerala is a testament to the unique experience the state offers to global visitors. Taken together these advantages, Kerala has all the potential to emerge as the most desirable MICE and Destination Weddings hub in all of South Asia, Shri Riyas said.
Other major segments set to receive greater attention in Kerala include Ayurveda and wellness tourism, caravan tourism, heli-tourism, cruise tourism, culinary tourism, village life experience and adventure tourism, he said.
As a state of resilience, Kerala has demonstrated remarkable recoveries from the crippling blows of Covid-19 pandemic and back-to-back floods, setting national trends in executing strategies for a swift rebound in tourism, he said.
“According to UNWTO, international travel across Asia-pacific region is still recovering, currently at 18 per cent, while the national average stands at 48 per cent. In contrast, Kerala has surpassed these benchmarks, achieving an impressive 87.83 per cent, marking a significant progress towards pre-Covid levels of foreign arrivals,” he said.
Last year, the state set a historic record with 2.18 crore footfalls of domestic visitors. With the continued support of the tourism industry, Kerala Tourism is confident that this season will witness a record-breaking footfall, he added.
Referring to the global-acclaim earned by the state’s Responsible Tourism initiative, Shri Riyas said international trends show that travelers are increasingly inclined toward sustainable tourism.
Emphasizing that investment and innovations are the two pillars of Kerala Tourism, he said the state has set an ambitious target of netting 30 per cent of the State’s GDP from the sector.
The state has also placed a strong emphasis on encouraging startups in tourism, promoting fresh ideas, concepts and in innovations to scale up the industry, the Minister said, announcing that an Incubation and Innovation Center specifically for the tourism sector will soon be set up.
