Last week, the government in Kashmir scrapped a plan to unveil a liquor shop at the Srinagar International Airport in an effort to revive tourism in the strife-torn state. Even after a significant turnout of at least 50 potential players in the bid to run the duty-paid liquor shop at the airport, that would have catered to approximately 3,500 passengers coming here every day, the government put its foot down to avoid protests from political opponents and religious heads over the issue.

Liquor policies have always been a hotbed of heated discussions across the country. Around three decades ago, liquor vendors in Kashmir were closed after a militant outfit issued a fatwa (diktat) on its sale and consumption. An armed insurgency erupted in the region and shops were ransacked. In 2009, when Vijay Mallya proposed to restart the cultivation of hops in Kashmir, it was shot down by then Chief Minister Omar Abdullah citing religious sentiments. A similar debate over liquor erupted in Kerala when the state implemented prohibition. It resulted in a significant drop in tourist arrivals in 2015. According to a report by Kerala Tourism Statistics, the growth of foreign tourists decelerated to 6 per cent in 2015 from 7.6 per cent in 2014 and 18.9 per cent in 2010. Domestic tourist arrivals also dropped to 6.6 per cent in 2015 from 8.6 per cent in 2010.

Image source: BBC

A regulated liquor policy not just improves tourist inflow, but also enhances the overall tourist experience. While accredited tourism businesses can offer hospitality experiences such as creating a dining experience with alcohol while touring an attraction, it also encourages a responsible service and consumption of alcohol.

Tourism is a key financial driver in many states of India, and plays a significant role in diversifying the state’s economy and creating new jobs. Apart from state revenues and livelihood, a well-regulated liquor policy also helps auxiliary industries including hospitality and MICE business thrive. From corporate functions, conferences and social events to destination weddings – all of these contribute to the bigger picture.

In Kerala, production of ‘toddy’ , drink made from sap of a certain palm tree, is a big source of income for many. Image source: Maavalan India Travels

The Kerala government relaxed its ban this year with its new liquor policy, giving a breather to the tourism sector. While it remains to be seen how it helps uplift the state economy, this pragmatic step will hopefully call for a holistic solution to the debate across the country.

The post How liquor policies can boost tourism in India appeared first on TravHQ.

From getting travellers from across the globe for a sneak-peek into Kerala’s native traditions, to transforming the art of storytelling to engage them, Kerala Tourism’s creative efforts to communicate with a worldwide audience has always brought them accolades. Sustaining that momentum, the tourism board launched a unique marketing campaign, in association with HolidayIQ, to increase tourist arrivals to the state.

The ‘Go Kerala’ campaign is a content-led, multiple platform initiative with a dedicated microsite, integrated touch points and targeted reach. Through this campaign, five lucky couples will get a chance to win a 10-days, all-expense paid trip to the state to visit unexplored and pristine destinations.

The itinerary has been handcrafted by the Kerala Tourism board with an objective to help travellers look beyond Kerala’s backwaters and typical honeymoon destinations, and position God’s own country as a family-holiday destination. Unlike traditional marketing campaigns, this is purely experiential as it is powered by holiday experiences and reviews of authentic travellers across the country.

To enter the contest, participants had to submit a review of their favorite destination or an attraction along with pictures, and then share the link on their Twitter/Facebook page. The participants were also expected to follow HolidayIQ on all their social platforms and join their traveller community to increase their chances at winning.

In recent years, the state has been at the forefront of actively promoting tourism through different campaigns. Tourism policies in Kerala have also evolved, with the introduction of more technology-oriented initiatives focused on the exclusivity of each destination. The tourism board has also consistently swept awards that recognize its innovative use of information technology, including social media and interactive mobile apps.

The post Kerala Tourism launches ‘GoKerala’ campaign to woo families appeared first on TravHQ.

Trip planning can be a long & exhaustive process. Unless you are a backpacker who is looking to make plans on the go, people prefer having everything sorted before they leave the comfort of home. That is why people, especially the ones travelling with family or in groups, either look up information from different sources and book through multiple vendors or book packages offered by travel companies. The first option is tiresome while the second one doesn’t offer flexibility.

This is where, a new startup JoyRoutes enters with a solution. It allows you to put all the hassles behind and book a package which includes hand picked accommodations & experiences and offers the freedom to customise the holiday package in real time. This way you can include the experiences you like, skip the ones you don’t, without having to look up vendors or wait for confirmation from them. The packages are offered by destination experts who tailor the package according to what you customise.

The website

JoyRoutes has got an impressive website which catches your attention with stunning visuals. There is a very important lesson for other travel startups here. Many of them aren’t able to strike the right balance between design & functionality and are often caught up adding Android app, iOS app and more in the list rather than perfecting one thing at a time.

Booking a holiday

Once you choose the start date, end date and type of accommodation for your Kerala trip, you are offered with options of packages for the duration. Each one shows the key highlights of the package so that you can easily pick one to customise. Once you choose to customise the package, you will find the bio of the destination expert on right side, which, in most cases, would inspire you to book.

The customisation page offers two tabs. On the first one you will see a detailed breakdown of your trip with the locations, activities and stay for each day listed. Tap on add activity on any day and you will be presented with the activities you can choose at your location for the day. Some of these activities are free while others can be added for their respective costs. Similarly you can change the hotel according to your taste.

E-Mail received from the destination expert

Once you are done customising, you can take a look at your complete itinerary in the second tab along with all the inclusions and exclusions. Tapping on the Book button will send the itinerary to the local expert who will then connect with you to help you further.

TravHQ Take

Like we said, pre-cooked packages don’t satisfy many customers. You can’t offer something that will suit everyone and that is why we like how JoyRoutes makes it easy to customise the base package. There are other startups that offer tour packages with the help of local experts but in most cases the users don’t get full control over the itinerary in the initial stage. They will put the user in touch with the agents who will then customise it and get back. This pretty much takes us back to the problem we had in the first place. Reliability is also an issue and JoyRoutes is trying to solve that by bringing highly experienced agents onboard which should result in satisfied customers.

JoyRoutes is definitely worth a try if you are planning a trip to Kerala anytime soon. You can book with them through their website.

The post JoyRoutes lets you plan the perfect Kerala holiday appeared first on TravHQ.

With the increase in number of mobile and internet users, many Indian destinations have started actively promoting themselves on social media. DMOs like Kerala Tourism, Goa Tourism and Chhattisgarh Tourism among others have been hosting activities and campaigns to promote tourism in their respective states via digital platforms. Now Kerala Tourism has come up with a new campaign titled Kerala Bid Wars.

In this campaign, they are conducting a unique bid contest on Facebook and their Android app. It is targeted at domestic travellers and the winner of each bidding game will win tour packages from state accredited tour operators. The value of packages will range from INR 8,000 to INR 78,000. This contest is being organised as a part of ‘Visit Kerala 2015’ which was inaugurated earlier this year by Kerala Tourism Minister Mr. A P Anilkumar.

“Kerala Tourism enjoys round-the-year engagement with our huge fan base across the world,” said Kerala Tourism Secretary Shri G Kamala Vardhana Rao. “This bidding process is a unique way to acknowledge the bond with each other,” he added.

To participate in the contest, you can go to the Kerala Tourism Facebook page or download the Visit Kerala Bid Wars app. On the Facebook page, you can click on Play Game link or the Kerala Bid Wars tab to participate. Once you enter, you will see the package on offer and you have to enter the lowest unique bid in order to win. Each package is available for a certain amount of time and you can only bid once for a package. You can place any bid (even as low as Re. 1) for a package that costs INR 15,000 and if no one else enters the same number, you will win the bid. The mobile app works in a similar fashion once you login using your Facebook account. The winner for each bid is announced via a Facebook post with the winning bid amount before a new package is available for bid.

TravHQ Take

The Kerala Tourism Facebook page has got over 1.1 million fans and this contest will boost the number even further. While the idea is good and is sure to get lot of interaction, they could have done a few things in a better way. Users can’t bid more than once which means there is no repeat engagement until there is a new package up for bid. They could have increased engagement by allowing for more bids if the bid isn’t unique. Sure that would have driven up the bid amounts but that could have been addressed by allowing amounts in decimals.

Another factor is that there are no smartphone notifications when new bid is available on the mobile app. The key to good apps is generating repeat user engagement and notifications play a big role in that. In this case, each bid lasts for days and many users might even forget they participated in any contest. (Update: Changed in latest app update)

While they notify the winner and winning bid through a Facebook post, the app could do with the option of a simple list with past winners as well. Users coming back to the page after multiple days might not like the idea of scrolling through the Facebook timeline and adding the list in app itself will further boost participants’ trust. (Update: Changed in latest app update)

Update Version 1.3

Their team of developers is very open to suggestions and was quick to roll out an update. The updated version of their Android app has got a much better interface and includes complete details about the package on offer. A new menu item called Past Bids has been added where you can find the previous winning bids along with the name of winners. They have also added push notifications to the app so that you are notified as soon as a new package is available for bid. Just in case you don’t want the notifications, you can choose to disable them in settings. Some comments on Google Play Store also demanded for addition of other login options apart from Facebook so it is possible to login using email ID in this version. We really appreciate the promptness they have showcased in changing the app to improve user experience. There is definitely an example for other DMOs here.

The contest started last month and will be running till December 20, 2015. You can check-out their Facebook page or download their Android app to participate. Bidding for a package hardly takes any time and with Kerala being one of the most beautiful destinations in India, we’re sure you would like to try out your luck.

Do tell us what you think of this campaign by Kerala Tourism!

Update (Sept 28,2015): Added information about the new improved Android App

The post Kerala Tourism starts Bid Wars but does it have the zing? appeared first on TravHQ.

Travel & Tourism industry relies heavily on the use of word of mouth to spread opinions. Social platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram let people share their experiences and tips. The effect of social media is higher than previously thought. According to a report by Adweek, 52% of the respondents changed their travel plans after the use of social media.

Kerala, also called as ‘Land of Coconuts’, has a unique set of geographical landscapes: rich greenery, high waterfalls, steep hills, spectacular beaches and endless backwaters. Termed as ‘God’s Own Country’, it has been declared as one of the ten paradises of the world by National Geographic Traveller. The scenic beauty in Kerala makes it a perfect spot for a tropical adventure.

Kerala has attracted more tourists through the social media. The Facebook official page of Kerala Tourism has 1.1M+ fans. The high engagement and innumerable comments on it indicate that it’s a highly desirable destination amongst travellers.

We’ve examined the Facebook page of Kerala Tourism and discovered 15 highly engaging images of the destination. These images will inspire you to add this destination to your bucket list!

Don’t miss Kummatti Kali – the famous colorful mask dance of Kerala 

Chembra Lake – Yes! Its heart-shaped

These traditional & cool houseboats should be a part of your adventure

Tuskers you can get to see in the wildlife safaris

Enjoy the clear waters of the magnificent waterfall in Gavi, Kerala

Why not learn a few tips of Kalaripayattu: One of the oldest martial arts in the world?

Padmanabhapuram Palace: a spectacular wooden palace of the 16th century

The exotic cuisine of Kerala: Banana chips

The serene backwaters of Kerala

Kurisumala is a popular Christian pilgrim centre where many devotees climb the hill with small wooden crosses

If you haven’t watched Kathakali yet, you have surely missed a lot!

Onam celebrates the return of the legendary King Mahabali every year

The monsoon in India is well-known worldwide. Visit Kerala in the rainy season and if you can get a hang of it… Kudos to you!

Give a treat to your taste buds by trying your hand at Sadya – a pure vegetarian food served on a banana leaf

Love water sports? Participate in this boat race. It’s called Vallam Kali

How many of these would you add to your wish list?

Image Credits: Kerala Tourism Facebook Page

The post 15 Facebook Photos by Kerala Tourism that will give you a glimpse of The Heaven on Earth appeared first on TravHQ.