kerala god’s own country
TRANSCRIPT
KeralaGod’s Own
Country
Abby VargheseDepartment of Geography, Tourism & Travel Management
Madras Christian College
Kerala: God’s Own Country
Kerala often referred to as Keralam, is a state in the south-west region of India on the Malabar coast. Spread over 38,863km² it is bordered by Karnataka to the north & north east, Tamil Nadu to the east & south, and Arabian sea to the west.13th largest state by population14 districts with the state capital being Thiruvananthapuram.Language Malayalam
History Prominent spice exporter from 3000BC to 3rd century. Chera Dynasty a powerful kingdom rules Kerala Portuguese traders paved way to European colonization After Independence Travancore & Cochin kingdoms joined
Republic of India In 1956 state of Kerala was formed by merging the Malabar
District, Travancore-Cochin, and the taluk of Kasargod, South Kanara
Present
Lowest positive population growth rate in India (3.44%) and has a Density of 860 people per km²
State has the highest Human Development Index (HDI) 0.790 Highest literacy rate of 93.91% Highest life expectancy (almost 77yrs) and highest sex ratio
(1084 women per 1000 men) Kerala also recorded the lowest homicide rate among Indian
states According to Transparency International, Kerala ranked as the
least corrupt state in the country.
Present
Kerala witnessed significant emigration of its people, especially to the gulf states during the Gulf Boom of 1970s and 1980s, and its economy depends significantly on remittances from a large Malayali expatriate community.
More than half of the population practices Hinduism followed by Islam and Christianity.
Pepper, rubber, agriculture, coconut, tea, coffee, cashew and spices are the important produce
Around 1.1 million people are dependent on the fishery industry which contributes 3% of the states income.
International Mentions
National Geographic's Traveller magazine names Kerala as one of the "ten paradises of the world" and "50 must see destinations of a lifetime".
Travel and Leisure names Kerala as "One of the 100 great trips for the 21st century".
In 2012, it overtook Taj Mahal to be the number one travel destination in Google's search trends for India.
The city of Kochi ranks first in the total number of international and domestic tourists in Kerala.
Kerala as a Tourism destination Kerala is an important destination, with backwaters, beaches,
ecotourism, Ayurvedic tourism and tropical greenery among its major attractions
There are 3 existing & 2 proposed international airports. The states 145,704kms of road constitute 4.2% of all Indian
roadways The state has the highest media exposure in India with
newspapers publishing in 9 different language mainly in English & Malayalam
Named as one of the Ten Paradises of the world by National Geographic Traveler
Growing at the rate of 13.31%, the tourism industry is a major contributor to the states economy.
The revenue from tourism increased five-fold between 2001 and 2011 and crossed the 190 billion mark in 2011.
Kerala as a Tourism destination Until the early 1980’s, Kerala was a relatively unknown
destination, with most tourism circuits concentrated around the northern India
Kerala Tourism Development Corporation laid the foundation for the growth of the tourism industry.
The Tag line Kerala – Gods own country was adopted in its tourism promotions & became a global superbrand.
Kerala is regarded as one of the destinations with highest brand recall.
In 2006, Kerala attracted 8.5 million tourist arrivals, an increase of 23.68% over the previous year, making the state one of the fastest-growing destinations in the world. In 2011, tourist inflow to Kerala crossed the10-million mark.
Popular attractions Well known for its beaches, backwaters in Alappuzha and Kollam,
mountain ranges & wildlife sanctuaries. Beaches at Kovalam, Kappad, Cherai and Varkala Illuminated Beach Bekal in Kasargod Muziris Heritage Project Backwater tourism & Lake resorts around Ashtamudi Lake,
Kollam Hill stations and resorts at Munnar, Wayanad, Nelliampathi,
Vagamon and Ponmudi National Parks & Wildlife sanctuaries at Periyar & Eravikulam
National Park Heritage Sites such as Padmanabhapuram Palace, Hill Palace and
Mattancherry Palace, Jews Street, Fort Kochi etc. The Grand Kerala Shopping Festival Thrissur cultural capital of the state is famous for Thrissur
Pooram
God’s Own Country Campaign
Coined by Walter Mendez The campaign started after conducting intensive studies about the state
& later understood the potentiality for Tourism in the state. Extensive Marketing strategies were introduced under the leadership of
Amitabh Kant
Amitabh Kant: The brain behind God’s Own Country & Incredible !ndia Campaigns
• Member of Indian Administrative Service (Kerala Cadre : 1980 Batch)• Presently posted as Secretary, Department of Industrial Policy &
Promotion (DIPP), Government of India• Has extensive experience in infrastructure creation, International Marketing,
Travel & Tourism and Hospitality industry. He has conceptualized and executed the positioning and branding of Kerala as “God’s Own Country” and later the “Incredible !ndia” campaign. Both these campaigns has won several International awards and embraced a host of activities – Infrastructure development, product enhancement, changes in organizational culture and promotional partnerships based on intensive market research.
• Managing Director of Fisheries Federation (MATSYAFED), Government of Kerala later the Managing Director, Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC)
Amitabh Kant: The brain behind God’s Own Country & Incredible !ndia Campaigns
• In the year 1997, E. K. Nayanar the then CM of Kerala posted him as Secretary Tourism, Government of Kerala.
• With the success in the Kerala tourism Industry the government of India appointed him as the Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India. He also was appointed additional duty of CEO & MD of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation.
• Kant’s idea of using Tourism as an “antidote to terrorism”
Awards for the God’s Own Country CampaignsInternational Awards ITB- Berlin’s Golden City Gate Gold Award (2014) UNWTO Ulysses Award (2014) Silver Prize at the Golden Gate Award of the Internationale
Tourismus – Borse Berlin One among three finalists at the World Travel & Tourism Councils
“Tourism for Tomorrow”Pacific Asia Travel Association AwardsGovernment of India Awards Best Performing State (1999, 2000 & 2001) (three years in
succession), Government of India.
Now coming to Analysis…
Strength Potential Medical Tourism Eco-Tourism Diverse geographical features Long coastline Rich culture Global Super Brand High literacy & other demographic factors Efficient Tourism Department & extensive planning Effective Security measures which include Police, CCTV etc. The Grand Kerala Shopping Festival Digital Marketing
Weakness
Lack of Night life due to reduced public transportation facilities even in major cities like Kochi & Thiruvananthapuram
Reduced Home Stay’s when comparing with the high demand Lack of promotion of Cultural Significance of several destinations Lack of awareness regarding tourism destinations in north Kerala
among International Tourists. Distance of destinations in North Kerala from current tourism
hubs around Kochi and Trivandrum Limited connectivity between Kozhikode airport and airports in
Europe and the US. Most of the International flight connections operate to airports in the Arabian Peninsula.
Opportunities Commercialization of certain Arts & Dances Active community involvement in tourism Recognition of new Tourism destinations Increased support for shooting movies & documentaries Potential as a Culinary tourism center Commercialization of “Thattukada” & other local cuisine Potential for Plantation Tourism The campaign can make use of the social media space for better
visibility Development of the Sarovaram Bio-Park (Kottoli urban wetlands)
of around 200 acres, located near the Kozhikode city centre with facilities including canal walkway, boatway bird sanctuary, mangrove bio-reserve etc.
Threat Global warming & the rising sea level Over commercializing of destinations Increasing dependency of Food products on neighboring states Increasing Brain Drain trend The campaign faces the threat of its shelf life expiring Other states are coming up with strong campaigns with strong
brand ambassadors.Competitors include1.Maharashtra Tourism Campaign2.Madhya Pradesh Tourism Campaign3.Gujarat Tourism Campaign
Availability of adequate tourism manpower is a critical concern expressed by private players operating away from main urban areas (like Bekal)
Conclusion
Even as Kerala Tourism has flourished within a short period of time, its promotional strategies needs to be innovative due to the tougher competition with the other states campaigns.