DRIt is routine for Keralites to be asked which are the best places to visit in their State and when. Next time you find yourself in this situation make sure that you have the brand-new Kerala Tourism app on your mobile phone.
The first-of-its-kind app was unveiled in April and has clocked a stupendous 30,000-plus downloads so far. The app is not only a value addition for the soaring tourism sector in Kerala but is also pitched to be a one-point stop for domestic and international tourists, providing verified and authentic information on the State’s tourism circuit.
The first-of-its-kind app which was unveiled in April this year has clocked a stupendous 30,000-plus downloads so far
What’s in the app?
Rich with features, the app offers a five-point dash listing customised trips, special packages, places to stay, nearby toilets and a virtual travel desk.
As expected, the talking point has been the restroom locator in the app, a futuristic enabler built to match peer international travel apps. The holistic app features details like disability access and commode styles. One can even see the directions to the geo-coded restrooms and use the photos to decide for or against a pause.
Kerala, with its pro-hospitality reputation, has in the past faced an image dent with the lack of clean public loos. Due to the same reason the app could be encouraging to women travellers. It could also be a game-changer for the increasing number of women choosing to travel solo to the State.
The app, designed by Invis Multimedia, has an added advantage as a quality-assured destination for travel news as the places to stay and the nearly 1000 restrooms listed on it were identified and scrutinised for hygiene and safety by a survey sanctioned by the Government of Kerala.
Visually appealing
The app features high quality videos and stunning photographs and gives a sneak-peak into the experiences offered by the State, including the village and native life rich with its earthy allure.
Apart from the usual searches of hills, wildlife and waterfalls, the app has something for everyone and an entire collection marked as ‘places of interest’. The section features stand-alone attractions like the Arattu Mandapam at Sanghumugham in Thiruvananthapuram and even lists local festival schedules.
The app also stays true to the reputation of Kerala as a land of sights, tastes and an ultimate olfactory delight. From recipes to make the famed ‘ada pradhaman’ to locating authentic antique and handicraft stores, there is a complete platter of solutions for the traveller.
Also featured are some of the offbeat, virgin tourist locales like Ilaveezhapoonchira and Vattavada where tourist traffic is still not at noisy levels. The app also has weekend solutions for the locals and tourists alike and scrolls options for day tours and updates on festivals and Kerala’s prestige aqua sports events like the Nehru Trophy boat race and the colourful temple festivals.
The app is reportedly still set to acquire a lot more features and one would hope to see more of security and cuisine options on it soon.
