Youngsters are Kerala Tourism’s Brand Ambassadors: Minister Riyas Launches Tourism Club Website

THIRUVANATHAPURAM:
Noting that youngsters have become the brand ambassadors of Kerala Tourism, State Tourism Minister P. A. Mohamed Riyas today said the campus tourism clubs set up to promote youth participation in tourism sector have a significant role in creating the best tourism culture in Kerala to tap the global potential of this vital sector.

Launching the website of Tourism Club, www.tourismclubkerala.org here, the Minister said this unique initiative will also help foster professional skills of the youth for lapping up job opportunities generated by the tourism sector. Riyas said the ‘Kerala Story’ of warm hospitality, harmony and secular mindset are vital factors in attracting tourists to Kerala and marking the state firmly on world tourism map.

He said the tourism clubs have ensured active participation of students in this sector with their skills and professional potential, giving an impetus to the development of tourism across the state.
As the upkeep of tourism centres is a vital issue, Tourism Clubs have been given an assignment at Akkulam Tourist Village on an experimental basis.

The Minister lauded Tourism Club members for giving a facelift to the popular tourist centre through activities like sprucing up the walls with beautiful paintings, repairing lamps and doing necessary electrification. Riyas also recalled the role of Tourism Clubs in successfully conducting the Onam celebrations at state and district-levels.

“In some countries, Keralite expatriates are actively engaged in promoting the immense possibilities of Kerala Tourism through Tourism Clubs. The Department of Tourism has planned to bolster its interventions to expand the activities of Tourism Clubs,” he said. Riyas said colleges of all categories can apply for establishing Tourism Clubs through the website and the state is going to witness the scenario where each college takes up the responsibility of maintaining tourism centres in a time-bound manner.

The Minister informed that currently, 382 colleges have Tourism Clubs and there are around 18,000 members in all clubs. Riyas gave away prizes to the winners of Tourism Clubs Reels Contest, conducted by Kerala Tourism as part of World Tourism Day celebrations, on the occasion. Aslin N (Kozhikode) and Vaisakh AL (Thiruvananthapuram) received the first and second prizes respectively.

Tourism Director P B Nooh, in his welcome address, said unlike other forums, Tourism Clubs will help students find a career in future and develop their innate skills. Nooh said around 382 colleges in the state have been given approval for setting up Tourism Clubs. Of them, 48 are engineering colleges, seven law colleges, 265 arts and science colleges, 17 polytechnics, 5 private ITIs, 6 Teachers Training Institutes, nine university campuses and 25 other institutions.

Among the institutions, 19 of them are autonomous, government (62), government-aided (127), and unaided institutions (174), he added.
Kerala Tourism Additional Director Prem Krishnan S proposed a vote of thanks.
The objective of Tourism Club is to harness youth power for the upkeep of tourism centres and encourage them to come up with ideas and themes for the development of tourism in the state.The initiative offers opportunities to students to work as part-time tourist guides too.