Kerala Tourism reaches out to Europe in post-COVID drive

State organises B2B meets in Madrid, Milan

After a hiatus of two years caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, Kerala Tourism organised its first B2B meet in the Spanish capital Madrid and the Italian city of Milan, showcasing a range of new tourism initiatives and popular destinations before the leading stakeholders of the tourism and hospitality industry in the two European cities.

“The shows were part of the State’s ongoing promotional activities to consolidate its position in the European market and send out a loud and clear message to the tourists that God’s Own Country is once again as hospitable and safe as it used to be in the pre-pandemic times,” said Additional Chief Secretary (Tourism) V. Venu who led the delegation.

“The feedback from Kerala’s trade partners, who attended the roadshows, has been very positive. It has reaffirmed the effectiveness of B2B meets,” a pressnote quoting him said.

Dinesh K. Patnaik, Indian Ambassador to Spain, attended the Madrid B2B Meet on April 5, while T. Ajungla Jamir, Consul General of India, attended the roadshow in Milan on April 7 and also visited the Kerala stand at BIT Milan.

V.R. Krishna Teja, Director, Kerala Tourism, who headed the delegation at BIT Milan, said the two roadshows were quite successful. “Active B2B discussions also took place in the stand at the Milan trade fair. There was an impressive turnout of Italian and Spanish tour operators and travel agents at both the roadshows, who showed an enthusiastic interest in Kerala’s new tourism initiatives besides its traditional tourist destinations,” he added.

Kerala’s trade partners in the private tourism sector also participated in the B2B meets.

A total of 18,947 tourists from Spain visited Kerala in 2019, registering an increase of 20% compared to the previous year. Likewise, the State witnessed 28,046 arrivals from Italy in that year.