Kerala Tourism wrapped itself in glory as its internationally-acclaimed ‘Human by Nature’ campaign on September 24 bagged the prestigious PATA Grand Award 2020 for Marketing, giving a huge stimulus to tourism industry in the State that is grappling with the adverse aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The icing on the cake for Kerala Tourism is that it has bagged one of the three PATA Grand Awards, which were announced live during a virtual presentation ceremony in Beijing.

The distant event was attended by Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran, Tourism Secretary Rani George; Tourism Director P. Bala Kiran; PATA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Mario Hardy; and Macao Government Tourism Office (MGT) Director Maria Helena de Senna Fernandes.

It was for the first time that this year’s PATA Gold Awards, supported and sponsored by the Macao Government Tourism Office (MGTO), were announced virtual since its inception in 1995. This year’s awards recognised the achievements of three Grand title winners and 21 Gold Awards.

Expressing happiness over winning the top award, Mr. Surendran said ‘Human by Nature’ was a brilliant marketing strategy to revive tourism that had suffered a severe knocking in the wake of the 2018 floods and the outbreak of the Nipah virus.

The idea of a new campaign showcasing the culture and daily life of the people of Kerala put forth by Kerala Tourism was conceptualised and scripted by Stark Communications.

The campaign which was carried out in national and international channels, newspapers, magazines, portals and airport displays in key cities helped in achieving Kerala’s record growth rate of 17.2 per cent in 2019, the highest growth rate in tourism arrivals in 24 years.

“I believe the latest award would provide a huge stimulus to the state’s ongoing efforts to rev up our tourism sector through innovative means as it is the mainstay of Kerala’s economy and contributes around 10 per cent of the state’s GDP. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, we have to reboot the travel sector with focus on domestic tourism and safety at every point of destination,” the minister said.

Mrs. George said: “The PATA Grand Award is a huge affirmation of the creative brilliance of our marketing campaigns and it shows that the Human by Nature campaign has struck the right note with global travellers.’’

“Right now we are in the process of supporting the tourism sector with revival package schemes. Our efforts are also geared towards putting in place SOPs for the tourism stakeholders and be a responsible tourism destination, thereby giving the tourists confidence to visit the State,” she said.

Mr. Bala Kiran said, “We are trying to rejuvenate our tourism sector by innovative business models that would create reassurance for travellers and ensure a responsible and sustainable tourism industry. We need to win the trust of travellers. That is going to be the cardinal driving force for tourism industry in the state.”

The PATA Gold Awards 2020 attracted 121 entries from 62 organisations and individuals worldwide. The winners were selected by an independent judging committee of 16 personalities from various destinations.

Overall, PATA 2020 presented 21 Gold Awards and three Grand Title Winners for best of show entries in the categories of Marketing, Sustainability and Human Capital Development. This year, PATA enhanced the Gold Awards by introducing several new categories in order to reinforce its position as an innovative and prestigious award for the Asia Pacific travel and tourism industry. New categories included Climate Change Initiative, Tourism for All, and Youth Empowerment Initiative.

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A video released by Kerala Tourism on its Facebook channel displayed the culinary richness of the coastal state which is abuzz with the annual preparations for Onam, this time on August 31. The 18-minute audiovisual treat explains the variety in the taste and material of the delicacies in the multi-course vegetarian lunch, called ‘Sadya’ in the state’s Malayalam language.

The video premiere comes as part of an ongoing two-week-long virtual endeavour saluting the spirit of Onam. The run-up to the harvest festival, too, has its traditional significance, chiefly marked by the 10 days of laying of the flower-carpet that symbolically welcome the mythological Mahabali whose rule was marked by the prosperity of his subjects.

The Tourism Department’s August 22-September 2 ‘Onam Fest Kerala’ features a bouquet of heritage arts and celebratory rituals alongside new-age cultural programmes—all of it online. The viewership has been encouraging, with 3 million views till Friday morning. Of the events beamed so far, the Panchari Melam ensemble alone earned as many as one million eyeballs.

Coming up, on the day of Onam (Monday) is a Kathakali show, followed by a live band performance and an Onam theme film the subsequent days. This weekend will host Family Onam Celebrations (Saturday) and Job Kurian’s music show (Sunday). All programmes are at 7 pm.

The ‘Sadya’ banquet was up on social media on Thursday afternoon, with a row of people in ethnic Kerala dress sitting cross-legged on floor-mats and eating with the hand an array of dishes for the rice served on banana leaves. The classical value of different types of curries, fried vegetables, rounded pappadams, pickles, chutneys and two courses of payasam desserts came to the fore with the anchor explaining (in English) the order and manner of serving each dish, besides a brief on their ingredients and recipe.

Mr Kadakampally Surendran, Tourism Minister, said the online festival showcases performances that unveil the legends of Onam and the values it upholds over centuries. The coronavirus pandemic may have muted the celebrations, but not the spirit of Onam as a festival of hope, harmony and love, he said in a message.

“The Government of Kerala has made arrangements to celebrate the festival, following COVID protocols. Extra safety precautions will be taken and there won’t be celebrations in public places,” he added, greeting the people.

Ms. Rani George, Secretary, Kerala Tourism, said ‘Onam Fest Kerala’ is in tune with a new world order that continues to maintain social distancing to curtail the spread of the disease. “Kerala Tourism is creating an opportunity for travellers across the world to experience our Culture and Heritage through the social media.”

Mr. P. Bala Kiran, Director, Kerala Tourism, said the online festival has provided the rest of the states with a model for traditional cultural events amid COVID-19.

The festival began on August 22 with a Panchari Melam session featuring Kerala’s ethnic Chenda, drums, Cymbals, horns and pipes. This was followed by the Kerala Natanam dance (August 23), Onam folk songs (August 24), Pulikali- tiger dance (August 25) and Onapottan folk character and Sadya (August 27). On August 28 evening is multi-instrumentalist Tao Issaro’s Onam songs.

Amid isolation, Onam “brings us the perfect way to go across borders and share joy and togetherness with friends and family all over the world”, Kerala Tourism Facebook page said.

Kerala Tourism

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