Kerala Tourism has launched an online training programme to help travel agents and tour operators in the UK get acquainted with the state’s tourism products and in turn increase UK sales to Kerala.
The programme was launched by tourism minister Kumari Selja at the World Travel Mart 2009 in London. Agents who successfully complete the programme will be awarded a certificate by Kerala Tourism and referred to as Kerala Specialist.
The programme consists of six modules on Kerala including knowledge about the history, culture and geography of the state, tourist attractions, and tips on how to sell Kerala.
The UK is the largest source market for international arrivals to Kerala. In 2008, British arrivals increased 17 per cent at 141,147 over the previous year, said state tourism secretary V Venu.