MUMBAI:
Kerala Tourism has bagged the ‘Best Destination for Families’ award through an online poll conducted by Lonely Planet Magazine India Travel Award 2018.
P. Bala Kiran, Director, Kerala Tourism, received the prestigious award at a function organized at St. Regis in Mumbai today. Kerala Tourism had won the award for ‘Best Destination for Romance’ for Munnar by Lonely Planet Magazine India Travel Award last year.
This is the latest in the bunch of prominent awards that Kerala Tourism has been winning. The consecutive award wins demonstrate the growing popularity of the state as the most sought-after destination across the globe. Rightfully, Kerala has become the tourism trendsetter in India.
Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Cooperation, Tourism and Devaswom, Government of Kerala said, “Kerala Tourism expects to woo vacationers from across the world during this monsoon season with two key tourist attractions that include Neelakurinji and Jatayu Earth Center, which is Kerala’s premium tourism product”.
Rani George, Secretary, Tourism & Culture, Government of Kerala said, “It feels overwhelming to witness that the tourism industry players have appreciated the efforts of the Kerala Tourism Department. Indeed, it is a proud moment for Kerala Tourism to receive such prominent honor.
Kerala is one such state that offers travel enthusiasts enriching travelling experiences throughout the year. It’s a 12-month ready tourism destination, which caters to every generation of travellers.”
Speaking on the occasion, P. Bala Kiran, Director, Kerala Tourism said, “Kerala has something to offer from every generation of travellers, which makes the state best destination for families. Stressing on the concept of ‘Best Family Destination’, Kerala Tourism has launched ‘Come Out and Play’ campaign that emphasizes on the prominence of the state being the most preferred family destination.”
“Additionally, The Tourism Department has been offering experiential water and action-based activities for the tourists. Subsequently, Kerala is hopeful to drive the growth of tourist arrivals during monsoon season this year”, he further added.
Over the years, the state has witnessed tremendous growth in tourist arrivals. More than expectations, an increase of 11.39 percent has been recorded in domestic tourist arrivals to Kerala in 2017, compared to the previous year. Additionally, foreign tourist arrivals have increased by 5.15 percent during the period. The Tourism Department has set an ambitious target of increasing domestic tourist arrivals by 50% by the year 2021 and doubling the foreign tourists by this period.
Lonely Planet Magazine India Travel Award 2018 recognizes the best national and international travel destinations. Out of a wide range of categories, travelers get to choose the best destination across the globe basis their travel experiences. An Industry expert panel nominated a couple of destinations across the country for various categories such as romance, culture, adventure, food and drink, and wildlife, on the basis of certain industry parameters. Winners were chosen by an online-based readers’ survey.
