Travel Mart - and Chikun Gunya!
KTM 2006 - a great hit!
By all reports, relaxations in red tape and a refreshingly novel approach has made Kerala Travel Mart 2006 a turning point in the state’s tourism marketing. 
The presence of prospective clients from Latin America, South Korea, Belarus etc. and the active participation of Airline companies were just a couple of factors contributing to the uniqueness of this year’s travel mart.
A great achievement of this exhibition, which concluded today, is that it succeeded in attracting the attention of even Argentine and Brazilian citizens who generally prefer the U.S. as their favoured tourist destination. A 21 member contingent from Argentina, including tour operators, enthusiastically attended the mart. The famed Asian elephants and the spices of the Malabar coast were their main fascinations.
Experts feel that tourists from the distant continents and the facilities being created for them lends greater variety and versatility to Kerala Tourism .The Travel mart society revealed that many significant decisions were taken this time to facilitate easier and more effective transactions between the buyers and sellers in the tourism industry. The Airline companies were given all encouragement to find new customers for Kerala Tourism and they came out with flying colours.
About 12 firms flaunted packages in the mart marketing Kerala’s new found excellence in dental care. This year’s mart also conveyed the message ‘Ayurveda – Kerala’s own heritage’. A team from Japan were also present in pursuit of Ayurveda and Kalaripayattu.
Home stay, Farm Tourism and Honeymoon packages will form part of Kerala’s new attractions in the coming years. Expectations are also high that helicopter tourism and seaplane service will change the face of Kerala Tourism in the next two years- assistance has been sought from Delhi in this regard. That Kerala has become a favourite location for even Hollywood filmmakers will also help in promoting tourism marketing in the state.
Kerala Travel Mart Society
Anxious times for Kerala tourism!
With a new tourist season all set to kick off in Kerala, reports of 'chikun gunya' – a mosquito borne epidemic, and a new one at that – being detected in 
Aleppey and surroundings and threatening to spread out fast is sending negative signals to potential tourists. Tour operators fear, understandably, that unless effective steps are taken on a war footing to control this menace, the state’s tourism industry could be badly hit this year.
The obvious step to prevent the disease spreading further is to destroy the mosquitoes carrying it and prevent further proliferation. For this, a clean environment is a must; but sadly, this is an area where 'God's own country' has always struggled – both from official apathy as well as an appalling lack of civic sense on the part of the public. A clean and attractive environment is the least priority for our politicians,and even their frequent sojourns abroad to sparkling clean cities like Singapore have failed to make them see sense.But the present situation demands very firm long term measures in this area- make no mistake,it is now or never!
Treatment measures have to be properly co-ordinated and intensified on a war footing in the areas hit by chikun gunya – it is heartening to note in this regard that free medicines and medical aid has been promised by the WHO, if required.
Already, reports indicate that many tourists from USA have deferred their visit to Kerala, at least for the time being - not an auspicious start to the season!
Latest Chikun Gunya research from Biojournals.com
Read much more about fascinating Kerala - her natural assets, achievments, famous sons, pressing issues and problems......
posted by Vicky @ 8:25 PM
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