DRThiruvananthapuram: Riding on the possibilities of new prospects that would enable a surge in tourism arrivals from the Arabian region, Kerala Tourism will participate in the prestigious Arabian Travel Market – ATM Dubai – to be organised from April 22 to 25, in Dubai.
The Kerala delegation will be led by Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Tourism. Statistics have revealed that the tourist arrivals to Kerala from the Middle East have been on the rise, with tourists from the UAE going up by 2.64 per cent in 2017, compared to the previous year.
Tourism arrivals from other countries in the region, such as Kuwait (up 14.33 per cent) and Oman (up 5.75 per cent) have also gone up over the past year. In a bid to tap more opportunities in luring an additional number of tourists every year, the participation of Kerala Tourism at ATM Dubai would help a great deal.
Top officials led by Jafar Malik IAS, Additional Director, Kerala Tourism, will be part of the delegation. The Kerala Stand at the travel fair will be set up within the Indian pavilion and will have six co-exhibitors, including two tour operators and three resorts, along with Kerala Tourism.
Once ATM Dubai concludes on April 25, Kerala Tourism will organise as many as three B2B meets in Riyadh on April 29, Dammam on May 1, and Manama on May 2. The Kerala Tourism delegation for these B2B meets will have as many as 16 sellers, including tour operators, hotels and resorts.
Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Tourism, said, “Kerala Tourism’s presence at ATM Dubai augurs well for the tourism industry in the state, considering the potential it has to offer to travellers looking to include Kerala in their annual tour itineraries. Further, the B2B meets will also help Kerala Tourism to lure travellers planning their leisure holidays as well as business trips to our state.”
According to Rani George IAS, Secretary, Department of Tourism, “Kerala has been a destination loved by Arabian travelers and we have been seeing more opportunities on that front, of late. The rise in numbers of travellers from the Middle East region holds good for Kerala Tourism. The three B2B meets are expected to provide added scope to display the charm of Kerala to a wider audience.”
P Balakiran IAS, Director, Kerala Tourism, said, “Kerala’s participation in the Arabian Travel Mart as well as the B2B will open up newer avenues to display the state as an ideal tourist destination.”
