THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Seeking to strengthen the tourist souvenir network project, Kerala Tourism’s Responsible Tourism Mission has launched a souvenir challenge to create an inventory of cute and environment-friendly artefacts for tourists to take home after their visit to the state.
The maker of the souvenir adjudged as the best in the competition will get Rs 1 lakh as cash prize, followed by Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 for those coming second and third respectively.
Also, one artist selected from each of the 14 districts will be given Rs 10000, and 100 artists will be given training to enhance their skill in souvenir making.
“This initiative aims to generate a collection of captivating artworks available for tourists to acquire, enhancing Kerala Tourism’s brand image and showcasing our diverse artistic and cultural heritage globally,” stated Tourism Minister P. A. Mohamed Riyas.
“Kerala’s RT initiative has always garnered global attention by successfully implementing responsible and sustainable tourism models. The souvenir network project is yet another step in that direction”, the Minister added.
As per the guidelines of the competition drawn up by RT Mission, the souvenirs should be made strictly of environment-friendly material and bear the imprint of Kerala’s socio-cultural features or the unique historic, cultural or artistic legacy of the place from where the tourist is getting the souvenir from.
The souvenirs should not weigh more than 500 grams and should not be bigger than 20×15 cm size, thus making them light for the visitor to carry home. They should also be flat in shape so as to make them easy to be framed and kept at home by the buyer.
As for the themes, each souvenir should reflect either an idea that defines Kerala or the particular locality or the district where it is made. The artist should record which material is used for its making and the theme or the story it communicates.
Any Malayali who is a permanent resident of Kerala can participate in the competition. The participants should submit a model of the souvenir with personal details such as name, email and postal address, their contact number, and a copy of their Aadhaar. The application could be submitted either directly at the state office of RT Mission or should reach there by post by 5 pm on February 28, 2024.
The RT Mission will reserve the right over the products it obtains through the competition and will make any alterations to them, if necessary.For more details contact: 0471-2334749
Applications may be sent to:
Responsible Tourism Mission,
Department of Tourism,
Govt of Kerala,
Park View, Thiruvananthapuram,
Kerala, India-695 033
