kerala traveller
GKSF Gets Off to a Colourful Start rand Kerala Shopping Festival, the 45-day long Kerala shopping extravaganza has been formally inaugurated at a glittering function held in Kannur. The opening ceremony held at Jawahar Stadium was marked by the large crowds
G
and a mega cultural show. The inaugural function was also attended by Ministers, people's representatives, officials and representatives of sponsoring agencies. T.M. Thomas Isaac, Kerala Finance Minister, who inaugurated the Shopping Fest said that the main objective of the 45-day
T.M. Thomas Isaac, Kerala Finance Minister inaugurating GKSF. Also seen are Kadannapalli Ramachandran, Kerala Minister for Devaswon, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Minister for Tourism, AP Abdullakutty MLA along with other prominent personalities.
long festival was to make Kerala an international shopping destination. The GKSF was one of the major steps of the State government to strengthen the commercial sectors in the State. "The government plans to extend the shopping festival spirit to the production sectors as well",
Balakrishnan who presided over the function said that from next year onwards, the GKSF would be organised by the Kerala Trade Fair Authority which was being set up. Devaswom Minister Ramachandran Kadannappally, MLAs A.P. Abdullakutty, P. Jayarajan, K.P. Mohanan and M. P Jayachandran, renowned singer and Jayaraj Prakashan, Principal Warrier at the GKSF inaugural function. Industries Secretary T. he said. Setting up a Balakrishnan IAS, Tourism handloom village at Azhikkal Secretary Dr V. Venu IAS in Malappuram and reviving and M. Venugopal, Managing the KodungallurDirector of the Federal Kottappuram weekly fairs Bank, title sponsor of the were part of this plan, added event, were among those the minister. Tourism present at the opening Minister Kodiyeri ceremony.
ATTOI Members Meet in Kuala Lumpur
A
ssociation of Tourism Trade Organisations India (ATTOI) has organized a three-day meet in the last week of December in Kuala Lumpur. This initiative was two fold ; one to attend a B2B meet with tour operators and hoteliers of Malaysia to develop
new ties and t wo to develop markets for taking Keralites to Malaysia and to bring Malaysians to India. The entire show was organised by Association of
DECEMBER 2009
by them just like us make Malaysia a very potential religious tourist source. Likewise Malaysia has already become a sought af ter destinations because of the pricing as cost of travelling to Malaysia is cheaper than travelling to Mumbai or Delhi. The dream of a Malayali in yesteryears was to fly abroad to secure a job; the dream remains the same but the reason has changed - now it is for leisure. Changing global scenario, increasing pay packets and economical ATTOI members at the meet in Kuala Lumpur destination makes very lucrative market as many want Malaysia an ideal destination. So we can expect to see an to come down and trace their exodus of a dif ferent kind from roots, or see the land where their forefathers were born. Besides the Kerala to Malaysia for fun and frolic. staunch religious values followed Tourism Trade Organisations India. Kerala Tourism has supported this initiative whole hear tedly as this was one of the first in taking brand Kerala and its ef forts to the nex t level. A sizable Malaysian population consists of second and third generation of Indians makes it a
• 26 •
Vijay Thakur RRee -elected IA resident IATTO PPresident
V
ijay Thakur has got reelected as President of The Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO). The IATO National Commit tee which was held recently at The Lalit, New Delhi has also elected Arjun Sharma (Sr Vice President), Pronab Sarkar (Vice President), Rajesh Mudgill (Hon. Secretary), Lally Mathews (Hon. Treasurer), Atul Rai (Hon. Joint Secretary) and Subhash Goyal,(Immediate Past President). An Exe. Commit tee (active) consisting Jatinder S. Taneja, Naresh Sharma, Sanjay Razdan, Tony Marwah and Vikram Madhok and Executive Commit tee (allied) including N.S. Rathor, Sunil C. Gupta, Sunil Sikka, Praveen Chugh as Returning Of ficer and Gour Kanjilal as Exe. Director has also been elected.
ASIAN TRAVELLER