Tag: Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran

Tourism minister to launch tomorrow a new online project to promote regional travel

The Kerala Tourism Department is trying to promote regional tourism through its new initiative called ‘Keralam Kanam’ or ‘Let’s see Kerala’, in which the people of the state are encouraged to visit the backwaters, beaches, hill stations and houseboats to get over the stress caused by the pandemic. The official launch of the online project www.malayaliyatra.com will be done by Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran on August 26 (Wednesday) at 12.30 pm via a video conference. With the COVID-19 devastating the tourism industry, the Kerala Tourism Department is trying its best to recapture the past glory of the industry. It is hoped ... Read more

Decision to lease TVM airport to Adani, a big scam: Kadakampally Surendran

Kerala’s Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran has termed the Central Government decision to lease out the Thiruvananthapuram Airport to Adani Enterprises as a “big scam”. “This is daylight robbery. Despite our requests, the airport has been leased to the Adani group, which is a large conglomerate,” the minister said. Adani has won the rights to operate the airport for 50 years. The Kerala government has been opposing privatisation of the Thiruvananthapuram airport for a long time. The state had even expressed willingness to create a separate company to run the airport. The minister termed the privatization move as unacceptable citing that ... Read more

Kerala announces financial package worth Rs 455 crore, to get tourism industry back on track

Kerala Tourism has announced a Rs 455 crore loan scheme to support the sector which has been decimated by the COVID-19 pandemic, in a move that’s bound to bring substantial relief to the industry. The scheme known as the Chief Minister’s Special Tourism Loan Fund will benefit both entrepreneurs and employees of the sector who are struggling to keep themselves afloat. As per the scheme announced by Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran, 2,500 large scale entrepreneurs in the sector can avail working capital loans from Rs 5 lakh to Rs 25 lakh. Besides that,  2,500 small scale tourism entrepreneurs can avail ... Read more

Kerala expects tourists to start visiting state in next 1-2 months: Minister Surendran

Kerala Tourism will increase its cooperation with other state tourism departments and the Central Government to avoid issues in inter-state travel, said Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran on Friday. The Minister said he expects tourists to start visiting Kerala Tourist Places in the next one or two months. He was speaking at the concluding session of the two-day e-Conclave organized by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) with the participation of representatives from various states and the Central Government on the future of tourism. In the first phase, ayurveda, eco-tourism and adventure tourism sectors will be strengthened ... Read more

Kerala tourism incurs loss of Rs 15,000 crore due to Covid-19

Kerala’s tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran has said that the state’s tourism sector has incurred a loss of Rs 15,000 crore due to the coronavirus induced lockdown. The minister said that a rejuvenation package for tourism in the state has been prepared and will be implemented to attract tourists to the state after the COVID-19 crisis ends. “The state has incurred Rs 15,000 crore loss in tourism sector. We have prepared a project and submitted it to the Chief Minister in this regard. We are planning to bring a rejuvenation package for the tourism sector in the state,” Surendran said. He ... Read more

Tourism Ministers’ conclave proposes to form Regional Tourism Councils to jointly promote destinations

At the Tourism Ministers’ conclave 2019 at Kovalam, tourism minsters from different states today proposed the formation of Regional Tourism Councils and developing tourism circuits, which can be region-based and in neighbouring states. “We resolve to jointly promote our tourist attractions across the world in order to give a cutting edge to our campaigns,” the resolution said. The resolution, moved by Odisha Tourism Minister Jyoti Prakash Panigrahi, said setting up Regional Tourism Councils will facilitate periodic interaction among different states and enhance collaboration. The conclave also took note of the high and varied inter-state tourist vehicle taxes and called for ... Read more

Kerala Tourism’s Info Centres get facelift

Strengthening the information network of Kerala Tourism, seven renovated tourism information centres were opened in Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi on Tuesday, with Hon. Minister for Co-operation, Devaswom and Tourism, Kadakampally Surendran inaugurating the facility at the Central Bus Terminal at Thampanoor in Thiruvananthapuram. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said Tourist Information centres in Chennai, Goa and Kolkata were also getting spruced up and strengthened with sufficient staff and technical back-up. “Tourist Information Centres have undergone a complete makeover to meet the demands of tourists visiting Kerala. Through the project, the government is also providing jobs for professionally-qualified and skilled youth ... Read more

Kovalam, Munnar, Alappuzha, Kumarakom, Wayanad, Fort Kochi, Kollam, Thekkady, & Bakel to go garbage, plastic-free

Seeking to keep prime tourism destinations across Kerala plastic and garbage free, Hon. Minister for Tourism, Co-operation and Devaswom Kadakampally Surendran today launched the “Clean Kerala Initiative,” piloted by Responsible Tourism Mission with the co-operation of the stake-holders in the tourism sector. Flagging off the project and a two-day workshop at Chaithram Hotel here, Surendran lauded the role of Responsible Tourism (RT) Mission in rejuvenating the tourism sector by promoting good practices like the “Green Code of Conduct.” “Responsible Tourism Mission (RT) is not just a propaganda tool of the government but it is an integral component of the tourism ... Read more

Kanjirapuzha Dam Garden gets a facelift

Photo Courtesy: Random Explorer, Flickr Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran has inaugurated the Kanjirapuzha Dam Garden in Palakkad today. The new modified Kanjirapuzha dam garden also offers boating facility for the visitors. The garden, which is spread on 8 acres, has special zones for children which includes pedal boating, swimming pool, cycling, various rides etc. The garden also has a musical fountain and special lighting arrangements to deck up the whole area. The facility has around five boats for the travellers, seven rain shelters for those who wish to get a cover from the rains, a public addressing system to ... Read more

Kerala Tourism to tap culinary skills of women to enliven stay of visitors

Kerala’s heritage-preserving Responsible Tourism initiative has drawn up an ambitious project to tap the culinary skills of women at the grass roots, especially housewives, to dish out the distinct flavours of the state’s ethnic cuisine to visitors. The scheme, ‘Experience Ethnic Cuisine”, aims at gainfully engaging up to 50,000 home-makers across the state in three years, by roping in them as key stakeholders in the hospitality sector. The project, which can set a major trend in the state’s tourism sector and empower women substantially, was announced by Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran in the State Legislative Assembly recently. The registration to ... Read more

Tourism flourishes in God’s Own Country with arrivals from Sweden, Qatar & China on the rise

In spite of the terrible weather and the other adverse conditions, the tourist season in Kerala was well on course beating the last year statistics and according to the Ministry of Tourism, the state’s tourism has recorded some good growth from unexpected markets in 2018. The bad weather, religious and political protests, increased competition from Sri Lanka and the devastating floods don’t seem to have affected the tourism industry through out Kerala as more and more visitors have arrived in the state from new markets. “There was rampant apprehension that Kerala’s tourism will take a long time to recover. But ... Read more

MTB Kerala 2018 concludes in Wayanad

The fifth edition of International Mountain Cycling Contest has concluded at Wayanad in Kerala on December 8. MTB Kerala-2018 has concluded at the Priyadarshini Tea Estate in Mananthavady. The event was organized by Kerala Tourism, in association with Kerala Adventure Tourism Promotion Society and Wayanad District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC), is supported by Cycling Federation of India. Apart from contestants from India, cyclists from 11 foreign countries have also participated in the event. The categories include: International Cross Country Competition (Men), National Cross Country Competition (Men), and National Cross Country Competition (Women). “Fifth edition of the MTB has been the ... Read more

International Mountain Cycling Contest to be held in Kerala on Dec 8

The fifth edition of International Mountain Cycling Contest to be held at the hilly district of Wayanad in Kerala on December 8. MTB Kerala-2018 will be held at the Priyadarshini Tea Estate in Mananthavady. The logo of the event was released by Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran by handing it over to E M Najeeb, Senior Vice-President of Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO). Tourism Additional Director Raghudasan, Cycling Federation of India Treasurer Jayaprakash, Magazine editor of Tourism India, Ravi Shankar and KATPS CEO Manesh Bhaskar were also present at the event. The event organized by Kerala Tourism, in association with Kerala ... Read more