Kerala

Kerala reconstitutes Tourism Advisory Committee

Government of Kerala has reconstituted the State Tourism Advisory Committee headed by Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Tourism, for the period of 2018-2020. The new committee has four new members from Thiruvananthapuram along with the existing 18 members from the Travel and tourism industry in the outgoing committee constituted in 2016.

The state Tourism Advisory committee was constituted in 2012 to advise and formulate the policy for Destination development, Product development, marketing strategies, market research etc.

Rani George IAS, Secretary, Tourism will be the Vice Chairman and P Bala Kiran IAS, Director of Kerala Tourism will be the Convener of the 28 member State Tourism Advisory Committee.

Jose Dominic (Managing Director of CGH Earth Hotels), E.M. Najeeb, (President, Confederation of Kerala Tourism Industry & CMD of Air Travel Enterprises Group), Abraham George ( Managing Director of Intersight Holidays Kochi), Baby Mathew (President, Kerala Travel Mart Society and CMD of Somatheeram Ayurveda Group), Riaz Ahamed ( Managing Director, Abad Hotels & Resorts), Jose Mathew ( MD, Rainbow Cruises Alappzuha ), Cdr. Sam T Samuel (MD, Kalypso Adventures Kochi), Ravisankar.KV, (Managing Editor, Tourism India), Jospeh Kuncheria Marattukulam ( MD, Ruby Home Stay, Nilambur), Riyaz U.C (MD, Spiceland Holidays), a representative from the Taj Hotels in Kerala and Station Manager, Air India, Trivandrum are the existing members in the committee.

E M Najeeb, Anish Kumar P K and Kadakampally Surendran

G. Gopinath (President, Association of Approved & Classified Hotels of Kerala (MD, BTH Sarovaram Cochin), Vancheeswaran (President, Wayanad Tourism Organisation), Anish Kumar. P.K., (President, ATTOI – Association of Tourism Trade Organizations of India ( CEO, The Travel Planners, Trivandrum), Sejoe Jose (Chairman, Kerala Chapter of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) (MD of Marvel Holidays), Chacko Paul (President of South Kerala Hoteliers Forum ( MD, Travancore Heritage Resort Chowara), M.P. Sivadattan (Director, Kerala Sate Home Stay and Tourism Society), V.C. Zacharia (President, Kerala House Boat Owners Federation, (MD, Lakes & Lagoons, Alappuzha) are the Travel Trade Associations’ representatives in the committee.

M.R. Narayanan (MD, Poovar Island Resort), S. Rajasekharan Nair ( CMD, UDS Hotels Kovalam), P.I. Dileepkumar (General Manager, The Leela Raviz Kovalam), B. Sukesh (Amy’s Home Stay, Thiruvallam, Thiruvananthapuram) are the new members in the reconstituted committee.

Jose Dominic, Rajasekharan Nair and Abraham George

Out of the 22 Tourism industry nominees, ten each are from South & Central Kerala and two from Malabar region. Hotel industry will be represented by nine members along with six tour operators and three home stay operators. Two nominees are from House Boat industry and one representative each from Ayurveda and Travel media segments.

The reconstituted focus group of marketing consisting of Anish Kumar. P.K., Sejoe Jose, Ranju Jospeh, Riyaz. U.C, Shailendran. M, Roy Chacko, Subhash C Bose, Pradeep Narayanan, Manu. P.V., Jibran Asif, Jose Pradeep, Unni Joseph, Jobin Jospeh, Sajimon Jose, and Shailesh Nair. P. Balakiran IAS appointed the Chairman of the Focus Group with Jafar Malik IAS, as the Vice Chairman and V.S. Anil as the Convener.