KERALA Tourism is roping in Sri Lanka and the Maldives to promote a joint seven-day tour, the first of its kind facilitated by an Indian state, said officials.
P M Ali Asgar Pasha, managing director of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation, toldTTG Asia e-Daily that the initiative targets source markets such as China, Germany and Russia.
Under the proposed package to be offered through travel agencies in the countries involved, visitors will spend two days each in each country, with one full day spent on travelling.
An MoU on this was signed between Kerala and Sri Lanka in Colombo on April 24, while negotiations with the Maldives will soon be underway.
“There are a lot of similarities between Kerala and Sri Lanka, where there is an abundance of coconut palms and backwaters,” Asgar Pasha said, adding that the close proximity of the three countries is an advantage as it only takes 60 to 90 minutes’ travel between each destination.
Kerala’s tourism minister, Anil Kumar, also revealed that Sri Lanka has expressed interest in starting a new cruise route between Kerala and Colombo, and SriLankan Airlines is expected to offer special fares for flights between the two countries.
