Foreign buyers impressed by experiential tourism avenues in Keralam

Foreign buyers attending the 13th edition of the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) have cited the need to augment marketing of Keralam’s attractive locales and the diverse cultures of the country to increase tourist footfall to the State and the country.

Han Jae Chiul, a global tour operator from South Korea and an ardent reader, did a lot of homework prior to attending the travel mart. “Among other books, I read of Bhimrao Ambedhkar, the Bhagawad Gita, and The God of Small Things. During the past 36 years as a tour operator, I visited over 100 countries. India and Keralam ought to step up their tourism campaigns and promote their diverse culture abroad, especially in Korea, since only 1.20 lakh of the total 20 million outbound tourists from my country visit India each year. Koreans give much importance to their safety at destinations and during travel. A much smaller country like Vietnam attracts over a million Korean tourists,” he told The Hindu, at the mart’s venue.

Among the meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions (MICE) tourism promoters attending the KTM was Juliana Teles From Sao Paulo, Brazil. “My firm focusses mainly on incentive tourism, and Keralam is getting popular in Brazil as a locale for relaxed trips and as a wellness destination. However, the Golden Triangle — Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur — is more popular back at home,” she said.

Katalin Radvanyi from Hungary and Juliana Teles From Brazil at the Kerala Travel Mart.
| Photo Credit:
John L. Paul 

“It ought to be mentioned that the diversity and quality of buyers attending the mart are good. As for the sellers of Keralam’s tourism products, they stand out due to the sheer diversity,” she told The Hindu.

Another tour operator, Sarah Musyimi from Kenya, was thrilled at the ride on a Water Metro ferry from the Bolgatty Palace and Island Resort where she stayed to the mart’s venue in Willingdon Island. “The event is so much about the vibrant culture of Keralam, apart from Ayurveda and wellness that I came to discover and experience. I hope to check out more of the State during the five-day post-mart tour,” she said, while appreciating the arrangements made by the organisers for B2B meets.

Katalin Radvanyi from Hungary is attending the mart along with her colleague. Having done a city tour and a tour of heritage locales in Mattancherry and Fort Kochi, she showed photos of the Paradeshi synagogue, the Dutch Palace, and the St. Francis Church where Vasco da Gama was initially buried. “The heritage streets too were awesome,” she said.

Experiential tourism

Most foreign buyers were keen to know more about Keralam emerging as a global must-see experiential tourism destination. Jessi Flegane from a US-based travel company spoke of how she is looking for packages that coalesced experiential travel, nature, wildlife, and luxury properties. “I know Keralam has the nature component, different geography and topography than the Golden Triangle,” she said.

Eric Holliday, a tour operator from Wales in the UK, caters to both inbound and outbound tourist in India. He attended KTM 2002 and has since been marketing Keralam, especially Ayurveda and wellness solutions that the State offers. “For our clients, Keralam is a good introduction to India as the place offers a relaxing milieu and verdant landscape. The backwaters are a big pull. We’ve got an Indian director to take care of Keralam packages,” he added.

Mayla Melo, who runs a travel agency in New York, says Keralam has great potential in experiential tourism due to factors like local lifestyle, art and culture, variety of food, especially fish, and a riveting homestay concept. “I especially like this concept of guest homes in the form of homestays. Unlike hotels, homestays take customised care of the guests. You really get to experience the real local way of life,” Ms. Melo added.