Kerala Tourism celebrated a record-breaking turnout, as more than 100 Australian travel professionals from across Sydney and Melbourne were introduced to the allure of ‘God’s Own Country’.
The afternoons, with Hon. Consul of General of India, Dr. Sushil Kumar in attendance in Melbourne last week, began with an ‘Hour of Power’, where wholesalers met with four hotel partners and two tour operators from Kerala in a speed-dating style.
That was followed by the arrival of travel agents and media for networking before moving into presentations.
Pictured left to right: Dipesh Prakash Mehta (Paul John Resorts and Hotels), Abhilash K.R (Kairali Ayurvedic Health Resort), Jibran Asif (Abad Hotels India), Shilendran M (CGH Earth Hotels), Ranju Joseph (Pioneer Personalised Holidays), Lauren Jansma (SITA), Mr. Biju K. IAS (Secretary, Kerala Tourism).
Kerala Tourism’s Secretary, Biju K. (IAS) gave guests an update on what’s new in the destination, including the growing emphasis on wellness tourism, nature and cultural festivals.
“We’re pleased with the great success of the Kerala Roadshow, which reaffirmed Kerala’s appeal to Australians with a strong interest in its special experiences from scenic backwaters to its responsible tourism initiative. We look forward to welcoming more visitors to experience the beauty and warmth of ‘God’s Own Country’,” Biju said.
Giles Gilbert, ANZ Regional Manager from airline partner, Malaysia Airlines, which flies to two destinations within Kerala, Kochi and Trivandrum, provided an update on what’s new for the airline.
Giles Gilbert, (ANZ Regional Manager, Malaysia Airlines), Chris Maxfield (Flight Centre), Mr. Biju K. IAS. (Secretary, Kerala Tourism).
The evening was filled with lively conversation and networking, complemented with canapes and drinks, as attendees learnt about Kerala’s diverse landscapes, rich culture and warming hospitality, along with its impressive product offerings such as ayurveda, houseboats and tea plantations.
To cap off the memorable evening, a prize draw awarded two lucky attendees round-trip flights to Kerala and a 7-night stay. The Sydney Roadshow prize winner was Chris Maxfield from Flight Centre while Andrew Denishensky from Entourage Travel picked up the prize at the Melbourne Roadshow.
Two airlines battle for skies of Kerala
Meanwhile two new airlines, Air Kerala and Alhind Air, are battling it out to be first in the sky in the region after receiving regulatory approval to fly.
In August, Alhind Group based in Kerala’s Kozhikode received the Indian aviation regulator Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA)’s initial approval to start an airline aiming to commence operations of Alhind Air by the end of 2024. The company is planning to use three ATR-72 turboprop planes with a focus on South India: Kochi, Bengaluru, Thiruvananthapuram and Chennai, after which it will become eligible to operate flights between Kerala and West Asia.
In July, low-cost airline Air Kerala also received the no-objection certificate (NOC) from India’s ministry of civil aviation. Run by Dubai-based businessmen Afi Ahmed and Ayub Kallada, Air Kerala hopes to commence operations by next year and connect Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities using ATR 72-600 aircraft. It is eventually hoping to branch out into international operations. Air Kerala is set to become the first regional airline from Kerala, unless Alhind Air begins operations earlier.
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