Nandagopal Nair/Gilverster
Tuesday, August 8, 2006 (Thiruvananthapuram):
Kerala has always been the leader in tourism but monsoon has been a lean period.
To overcome this the government launched a campaign for monsoon tourism. And it is now pouring tourists in God's Own Country. "I like the sound of rain. I like the rain when it stops and everything is very clean, very quiet. The birds are singing. It is a new day," said Malika Mostefat, tourist.
"I am the sigh of the sea/The laughter of the field/The tears of heaven". The muse that inspired Kahlil Gibran to write these lines also seems to have inspired the tourism department in Kerala.
Sometimes it takes water to kindle a fire, this tongue-in-cheek ad-slogan evoking the sensual side of rain, is part of the aggressive marketing campaign initiated by the Kerala tourism department.
Appealing to the romantic
The idea was to appeal to the die-hard romantic in all of us and it seems to have worked.
Kerala today has the highest tourism growth rate in the country. The initiative has created some new 'monsoon tourism' products, like 'rain walks' and monsoon food festivals.
"We have seen exponential growth. Last year about this time we had 40-45 per cent occupancy.
"We are currently having about 65-70 per cent occupancy in the same period at much higher rates as well," said Biswajit Chakraborty, General Manager, Leela Kempinski, Kovalam.
"Obviously, the campaign in Europe has paid off and a lot of people are coming in from Germany and Switzerland.
"They account for nearly 70 per cent of the arrivals for ayurveda," said Ranjit Mathew, MD, Coconut Bay Resort. In Malayalam, the monsoon is also referred to as the oushada masam or the medicinal season.
Rejuvenation therapies
Ayurvedic practitioners claim that rejuvenation therapies are more effective during the monsoon months. The tourists seem to have bought the argument for now.
"It is so relaxing, certainly from the stress. It all gets taken away, as if by magic," said Lord Gary Allsopp, tourist. "Kerala has magnificent rains and it is a fantastic time to visit Kerala. Traditionally this is the time when ayurvedic treatment is most effective," said EK Bharat Bhushan, Principal Secretary, Tourism.
The state government expects the revenues from the tourism sector to touch Rs 9000 crore this year as compared to last year's Rs 7,700 crore.
It is literally raining tourists in Kerala. The monsoon initiative of the state tourism department has begun to yield results.
Compared to last year hotel occupancy rates have gone up by 20 to 30 per cent. The cocktail of rain and ayurveda has turned out to be a money-spinner.
|