Kerala Tourism was bestowed three Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold awards, including the one for an ethnic food restaurant run by women at Kumarakom under its Responsible Tourism Mission, at a glittering function at Nur-Sultan (Astana) in Kazakhstan last evening.
The awards were received by Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran and Tourism Director P Bala Kiran from Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes, Director, Macau Government Tourism office and Mario Hardy, CEO, PATA, during the PATA Travel Mart 2019.
The two other gold awards were for an advertisement campaign of Kerala Tourism — Come Out and Play — and for its website (www.keralatourism.org), respectively. “It is a big honour for Kerala Tourism and also a strong validation of the state’s image as an alluring tourist destination. I am sure these awards will give a huge traction in showcasing the touristy charms of the state to a wider international audience,” Surendran said.
“I am particularly happy for receiving the gold award for the women-run ethnic food restaurant at Kumarakom under the Responsible Tourism Mission (RTM), which has become the mainstay of our tourism policy and initiatives. Out of the 15,500 RTM initiatives, 13,500 units are led by women,” the minister added.
“Kerala Tourism has won the highest number of PATA awards in South Asia this year. India Tourism has won one award. The three gold awards are yet another acknowledgement of our commendable success. It will give a fillip to the destination pull of Kerala and elevate the state into a coveted destination for the inbound tourism market,” Kiran noted.
