TRIVANDRUM, Jan20,2012: After enlisting Kerala diaspora across the world as brand ambassadors, Kerala tourism is set to directly enter the travel market in the Middle East, where over 85 per cent of Non-Resident Keralites reside.The department has drawn up an elaborate marketing campaign to woo Arab tourists to the state, named as one of the ten paradises of the world by the National Geographic Traveler. The campaign, which includes road shows, advertisements both in English and Arab media, including television channels and outdoor displays throughout the Gulf region, will be kicked off from Jeddah in the first week of April, said state Tourism Minister Anil Kumar. He told reporters here on Thursday that the tendency among the holidaymakers in the Gulf was to look eastwards instead of Europe and the US. However, they appear to be flying to Malaysia or Singapore overlooking India in between. He said the campaign was aimed at diverting the Arab tourists to Kerala, which can be reached from anywhere in Middle East by flight in three to five hours. Tourist arrivals from the six GCC countries accounted for only a bare three per cent. According to State Tourism Director Rani George, UK constituted one-fourth of 730, 000 foreign tourist arrivals in the state in the last calendar year. France, Germany and the US occupied the second, third and fourth positions respectively. The surge in tourist arrivals from the Europe has been the result of extensive marketing campaign undertaken by the department there. The department is launching a similar initiative in the Middle East. This is for the first time it’s going for an aggressive push in the Arabic Press and television to reach out to the Arabs. The department has been trying to woo Arabs through a novel scheme called “Bring home a friend”. The scheme launched a couple of years ago offered rewards to the NRKs who invite their friends and colleagues to the State. The department has introduced a web-based platform to link the NRKs with tour operators and other service providers. Those bringing tourists through this will earn reward points, which can be later redeemed with a holiday visit to the state for themselves. NRKs can register on the home page of ‘Bring home a friend’ and refer their friends to the website. Each reference will automatically be forwarded to three accredited tour operators, who in turn will present their packages to prospective visitors.
