The first day of GPS Kochi set the tone of the show by opening with a session that laid a strong emphasis on the environment and how all stakeholders in the tourism industry can do their bit by being a little mindful and aware. Harmandeep Singh Anand, Managing Director, Global Panorama Showcase (GPS), said, “We had an entire session in the morning that focuses on simple do’s and dont’s for water conservation and importance of rain-water harvesting for a responsible citizen. We also spoke about the dangers of plastic use and how it can be easily avoided. I’m a polymer engineer by education and I understand how toxic plastic can be if not used wisely.”
He said the need of the hour is for us not just as tourism stakeholders but also as citizens of this world to go back to the age when we used recyclable things. “We also spoke about how operators can educate their clients on what they can take with them from a hotel and what they cannot. Some times it’s just a matter of informing them and being guided. They do it out of ignorance. So we played a video that addresses this issue as well,” Singh said.
The Kochi edition saw high attendance from buyers coming from all over Kerala such as Madurai, Coimbatore, Thissur, Trivandrum, Calicut, Kannur, Trichy, Salem, Tirur, Erode, and Kozhikode.
Dates for EcoCONNECT will be announced during the Kolkata show.