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THE KERALA
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Ayurveda, houseboat, experiential tourism and the entrepreneurial dynamism all unfolded themselves slowly over the past 15 odd years for the Kerala magic to happen.
W
hat is the Kerala experience? It seems everyone wants to go to Kerala for a holiday. The brand is such that it encourages people, the well-travelled educated Indian, to come to Kerala. It is the wholesomeness of the state, which you can call the Kerala experience, that enthralls people. The remarkable thing is that Kerala does not offer one-single thing; a particular iconic experience; or a tourism product that bring tourists here. It is the totality of the experience that makes it tick.
A houseboat experience has turned the waterways into a tourism highway. 30
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GO NOW December 2011
One aspect of the Kerala experience is that there is a deeper aspect of the destination. The Kerala experience is not one that is enclave-based; on the contrary, all of Kerala is looked upon as a tourist place. If there is nothing particular, a heritage site or an iconic destination, then what makes the state tick with tourists? It is one place that offers a visitor the feeling of comfort and safety. Kerala encourages you to open up. You can take a bus or a taxi and you will not feel out of place and you will not be stared at. The state has slowly unfolded
Dr Venu V., Joint Secretary, Culture, Government of India has spent nearly 14 years in various capacities in Kerala Tourism, including four years and eight months as its Secretary. He was in the state at a time when the state sold itself to the world under the taglines ‘God’s Own Country’ and ‘Your Moment is Waiting’, and more importantly, delivered what it promised. Kerala made a mark on the national and the international scene walking away with dozens of awards, even as it accessed new destinations, created new experiences, discovered new markets and strengthened new partnerships. Go Now speaks to Dr Venu on how the state walked the talk.