| Positioning this as a key priority initiative, the state government seeks to enhance the socio-economic growth of Kerala and channel a major part of the revenue to the communities engaged in various sectors of the trade. |
| According to Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, Kerala tourism minister, the culture, heritage and customs of the trade will be preserved and popularised among the tourists under the new venture. |
| "As a part of focusing more on 'Responsible Tourism', hotels, ayurveda centres, houseboats, convention centres, tour operators, tourist transport operators and the like will be given approval and incentives based on a set of mandatory requirements," he added. |
| "Various functions of the tourism department will be integrated in such a way that the growth of tourism will also contribute towards enriching the lives of traditional workers and artistes," the minister said. |
| Firming up ambitious plans for the tourism sector, Balakrishnan said that a hospitality management institute of international standards would be started in the state soon. "The project, planned at a cost of Rs 40 crore, will be in partnership with the Centre and the hospitality industry," he added. |
| The state government had recently announced an investment of Rs 1,000 crore in the tourism sector in Kerala. As an initial measure, a tourism investment promotion cell under the tourism directorate will commence operations with immediate effect. |
| The cell will make available all relevant information like project clearances and timely implementation. |
| This apart, basic infrastructure in unknown and lesser known destinations across the state will be immediately provided. A state-level committee to enable single window clearance for speedy and convenient processing of tourism projects that exceed Rs 5 crore will also be formed. |
| According to E K Bharat Bhushan, principal secretary, Kerala tourism, the government has also lined up plans to rejuvenate the souvenir industry in a big way. In this regard, entrepreneurs in this field will be accorded 'Kerala Tourism Industry Partner' status, and as an initial step, 110 souvenir designs would be launched. |
| People from the handicrafts industry, NGOs and Kudumbashree members will be given training to manufacture souvenirs. Further, measures will be adopted to popularise souvenirs from the state in the international market. |
| B Suman, director, Kerala tourism, said the campaign to popularise travel in the rains had proved to be a grand success with the hotels in major destinations seeing 60 per cent occupancy, compared with 35 per cent earlier during the monsoons. |
| Stressing on big-ticket investments in the sector, Suman added that a growth of 26 per cent was a must and there was a need to move way from the current models to more innovative models of growth. |
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