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Holiday options aplenty
Showcasing international destinations
A heritage walk in Pondicherry or a cave room retreat near Thekkady, a village tour in Alleppey or a new island in Malaysia, an ayurvedic rejuvenation at Calicut or a new product launch at Cochin or the marriage of your daughter at Guruvayur; at the Travel Expo 2005- India Tourism Festival there is something for everyone.
"We want to showcase different holiday options in India," says Vasanthi, from Adwise Events, the organiser of Tourism Expo.
"People don't want to take very long holidays, they look for more weekend getaways, four to five day breaks, are willing to travel often and explore newer options", Vasanthi adds.
Over 30 holiday options from Kerala, Pondicherry, Ooty and also opportunities to travel to Malaysia and Mauritius is what you find at expo.
The attempt to showcase holiday options in Northern Kerala is very visible and a welcome change from the already known destinations like Allepey, Munnar and Kumarakom.
Ayurvedic therapy
For a rejuvenating ayurvedic therapy, there is Kadavu Ayurveda Centre, near Calicut and for nature treks into numerous jungle trails, there is The Vythiri Resort, Wayanad.
Carmelia, a plantation resort near Thekkady, offers you the unique experience to live amidst tea, cardamom and coffee plantations or you have "the wind and water" option at Punnamada backwater resort at Alapupuzha, i.e. a day in the resort and a day in the boat.
If you want to experience Siena, a rocky, clean and naturally beautiful city in Tuscany, Italy, try the `Siene Village' near Munnar, a property of KGM Resorts.
You may just find yourself at an orthodox tea factory, 11 kms from this resort and if you are looking for an eco-friendly option, there is the Green Berg Resort, where power is generated through checkdams and pure organically grown vegetables are served. The 120 herbs used for ayurvedic treatment are cultivated in-house.
Hotels such as Krishna Inn in Guruvayur also showcase `temple tourism' and also offer wedding halls with a capacity of 1000.
Reduced tariff
Air Mauritius is offering reduced tariffs at Rs. 19,000 for a two-way ticket from Chennai, while Malaysian Tourism Board is showcasing a new island Tioman for scuba diving enthusiasts and also targeting the young, BPO population.
Pondicherry is the only State to set up a stall.
"We get a lot of tourists from Bangalore and Chennai, but we would like to invite the corporate class from Coimbatore," says Ankita Mishra, Director- Tourism, Pondichery.
A unique blend of Tamil and French culture is what's on offer. The stall showcases not just the tourism options in Pondicherry but also invites private sector to set up hotels with a slew of subsidies.
Here, you will find perfumed candles and terracotta sculpture to give you a flavour of the cottage industry.
Deccan Airlines wants to inform clients about the online ticketing option and the 24-hour call centre where you can call 39008888 for booking.
Kerala.com, a website that provides information on more than 60 destinations in Kerela is also a participant.
The two-day expo at Hotel Residency ends today (Sunday).
By Puja S Navin
Photo: K. Ananthan
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Life
Bangalore
Chennai
Coimbatore
Delhi
Hyderabad
Kochi
Madurai
Thiruvananthapuram
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