Kerala - Kochi   

Call to revive trade tourism

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: Revival of trade tourism can give a fillip to Kerala economy. Along with medical tourism, the State should revive its traditional industries with a view to drawing tourists, said Cherian Philip, Chairman of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) here on Saturday. He was inaugurating Kerala.com Tourism Festival here at the TDM Hall.

He said that Kerala's first visitors were attracted by its reputation for spices. Promoting our traditional industries could revive this interest, and trade tourism was a focus area for the State Government, he said. Ayurveda, herbal cosmetics, traditional handloom products, cashew and seafood were areas for development, he said.

The State Government would conduct a Kerala Shopping Festival, probably in Kochi, in November this year, he said. Dubai shopping festival is a big success and the State Government wanted to take a cue from this. The Malabar Shopping Festival held recently was a success, he said.

The State Government was also looking to set up a permanent trade centre to showcase products from Kerala. This would be a major tourist attraction. Besides, work on the proposed marina was expected to begin in May. The work is likely to be completed in 18 months, he said. Mr. Philip said that private investments play a significant role in the Kerala tourism industry and that the Government was committed to providing support to new ventures.

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