Kerala

Kerala Tourism bags ‘Best State for Leisure Tourism’ award

Kerala Tourism has bagged the prestigious ‘Best State for Leisure Tourism’ award at the Zee Business Travel Award. Sooraj P K from the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, received the honour at the Zee Business Travel Awards function held at Oberoi Hotel. Union Minister of State for Tourism K J Alphons was the Chief Guest and Anil Kumarsingh Gayan, Minister of Tourism, Mauritius, was the Guest of Honour at the ceremony.

One of the most eclectic awards for tourism in India, the Zee Business Travel Awards honour those who are responsible for taking the travel industry to greater heights. The award ceremony was organised to give them a new identity and help the travel industry reach its zenith.

The selectors noted that there is no dearth of talent in India, and hence it was not easy for the jury members to choose one. However, the jury members did a fairly good job in picking out the best from the best.

Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran expressed happiness over the award, and said it has come at an appropriate time when the state tourism has recovered fast from the havoc wrecked by the recent floods.

“This honour will inspire the state to press ahead pushing behind the damage inflicted by the floods. Living up to its reputation as the Best State for Leisure Tourism, we have added some more products like the Malabar cruise project, focusing on the rivers of North Kerala,” he said.

“It is all the more heartening that Kerala has been bestowed with this prestigious honour when the state’s time-tested tourism is back on the track after the devastating floods,” said Rani George, Secretary, Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala.

Noting that Kerala has been selected for the award in a prime category, State Tourism Director, P Bala Kiran said, “It is significant that such a prestigious honour has been bestowed on the state by a leading media house in the country.”

Earlier this month, Kerala Tourism has been conferred with two gold awards of Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) for its innovative marketing campaigns.