INDIA. Kerala: At the ongoing 11th edition of Kerala Travel Mart (KTM), the country’s largest tourism sector conference, global and domestic customers have expressed strong interest in Kerala’s stakeholder-friendly Caravan Tourism concept.
Many business delegates worldwide were amazed to witness the comfortable and state-of-the-art tourist caravans parked at the entrance of the four-day travel and hospitality industry conclave, KTM 2022, happening in Cochin. The Kerala government is granting a 15% discount on the purchase of caravans, which has boosted sales. Tour companies, in particular, are interested because they believe it would attract travelers. Caravans can also be offered customized itineraries.
A power-managed sofa, two double beds, toilet, bathroom, kitchen, inverter, and generator are all included in the Bharat Benz trailer, which sleeps four people.
According to Shri Goutam Bopayyah, Technical Manager, the five-person Compact Pickup line of vehicles was built to create budget caravans without sacrificing comfort. These were designed to cater to the needs of both individual travelers and businesses.
On the vehicle’s roof, there is also an additional bedroom. He went on to say that this vehicle, which has a top speed of 80 kilometers per hour, could quickly go through tiny roadways.
Attracting visitors
Many of them said the initiative, dubbed ‘Keravan Kerala,’ was an innovative product that would help Kerala’s post-pandemic tourism rebirth by luring visitors from all over the world and other parts of the country.
The State’s Caravan Tourism Policy offers a variety of highly appealing incentives to caravan operators and park developers. In February this year, Kerala Tourism Minister Shri P A Mohamed Riyas opened the state’s first caravan park at Vagamon in the Idukki district.
Redefining high-end tourism
“The Kerala caravans present excellent standards in terms of comfort and quality. These are far more self-contained trailers than typical European tourist caravans,” remarked Bulgarian Magdalena Lubenova.
“Going by its specific features, Kerala’s Caravan Tourism policy is an ideal model for other states,” said Shri Gurmukh Singh from Delhi.
“The caravans featured by Kerala will redefine high-end tourism. The number of highly-paid youths is increasing in the country. They will find caravan tourism an attractive get-away whenever they take a break from their hectic professional life. This will also open up many opportunities for youngsters,” he added.
Samir Vora, a Mumbai resident, believes that caravan tourism has enormous potential in India.
“There is no doubt that the caravan safari would provide tourists visiting Kerala with a unique experience. This is an excellent way to travel and be close to nature while experiencing the incomparable beauty of our state.
Shri Baby Mathew, President of Kerala Travel Mart Society, the event’s organisers,” stated.
“The project would also generate plenty of job opportunities across the state.”
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