Tag Archives: Kerala Tourism Development Corporation

V Vigneshwari IAS is the new Managing Director of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC), taking charge from VR Krishna Teja IAS, Director of Tourism. Vigneswari, was earlier the Director of Collegiate Education, and is a Kerala Cadre IAS officer of 2015 batch. Shri Krishna Teja’s two-year tenure as KTDC’s executive head was marked by a string of initiatives that saw the state-owned hospitality major making major strides, despite the pandemic-induced challenges.

Cleartrip has tied up with the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) as its exclusive online booking partner for local tours and activities. Under the association, KTDC will sell all of its exclusive set of activities through the Cleartrip platform, including both existing and new inventory of conducted tours and boat trips. The partnership is also Cleartrip’s first with a government tourism board, marking a major milestone for the online travel agency. Commenting on the association, Ankit Rastogi, VP- Experiences and Accommodation, Cleartrip, said, “The biggest benefit of this tie-up will be to the travellers, who now can access and book all of KTDC’s inventory of tours and activities online on a single platform. We hope that this partnership will spur more such associations where Cleartrip partners with other government tourism promoters to make their offerings available through its online portal.” Mr Rajmohan, Marketing Manager, KTDC, commented, “Our goal is to extend greater convenience in terms of planning and booking these popular activities. We have recently launched a new set of conducted tours to highlight local experiences which best convey the state’s distinct culture and heritage. Cleartrip’s pioneering efforts in the tours and activities space made it our first choice when it came to choosing a partner to help us connect with and engage young travellers.”

Kerala Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran launched a unique initiative, Ayurbodha at the World Travel Mart in London to enlighten tourists with the basics of Ayurveda. The newest product of the Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) aimed at blending tourism and knowledge of Ayurveda. Under the initiative, a traveller can stay at any of the KTDC resorts and learn about the ancient medicinal stream of Ayurveda. The focus would be on basic home remedies and diet regimes, Ayurvedic practices for the rejuvenation of body and soul, secrets of pressure points, basics of ‘panchakarma’ treatment and the history and use of medicinal plants. The traveller goes back not only enlightened but also with a certificate for gaining knowledge of Ayurveda. “Ayurveda, as a wellness system and a mainstay tourism product, has been largely confined to treatments and massages. While Kerala is known as a destination for spending serene and peaceful holidays, our time-tested tradition of the ancient Ayurveda can enrich every visitor’s experience,” Surendran said.

Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) has restricted boating service (Jalaraja boat with 126 seats) in Periyar River from October 21, 2016, onwards till further orders due to low water level in the river. Bookings in KTDC boats will be cancelled and refunded or adjusted with future bookings. As per the information received from Kerala Forest Department, small boats (2 boats with 25 seats each) operated by the department will continue their boating services in the river.