2. 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 population
14 districts with the state capital being Thiruvananthapuram.
Language Malayalam
3. 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
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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 the
10-million mark.
9. 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
10. 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
11. 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)
12. 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”
13. Awards for the God’s Own Country
Campaigns
International 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 Awards
Government of India Awards
Best Performing State (1999, 2000 & 2001) (three years in succession),
Government of India.
15. 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
16. 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.
17. 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.
18. 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 include
1.Maharashtra Tourism Campaign
2.Madhya Pradesh Tourism Campaign
3.Gujarat Tourism Campaign
Availability of adequate tourism manpower is a critical concern expressed
by private players operating away from main urban areas (like Bekal)
19. 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.