Kerala’s Tourism Investors Meet to bolster vital sector
Trivandrum / November 15, 2023
Thiruvananthapuram, Nov. 15: Seeking to bolster Kerala’s tourism sector, the first focused Tourism Investors Meet (TIM) to be held here tomorrow (November 16) will roll out before business leaders and stakeholders from within the country and abroad, a wide array of investment opportunities.
Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the meet at Hyatt Regency in the city at 12 noon. Minister for Tourism & Public Works, Shri P A Mohamed Riyas will preside over the inaugural function.
State Finance Minister Shri KN Balagopal; Revenue and Housing Minister Shri K Rajan; Chief Secretary Dr Venu V.; Chairman, Kerala Tourism Infrastructure Ltd (KTIL) Shri SK Sajeesh, Tourism Secretary Shri K Biju, Tourism Director Shri S Prem Krishnan, and Planning Board Member (Tourism) Shri Santhosh George Kulangara will be present.
In the Theme Introductory session prior to the inaugural, Shri Riyas will deliver the key-note address on the topic “Tourism Investment in Kerala – Vision and Opportunities”. Tourism Secretary, Shri K Biju will preside over this session, and Tourism Director, Shri S Prem Krishnan will deliver the welcome address. Shri SK Sajeesh, Chairman KTIL & Smt Sikha Surendran, MD KTDC will also speak in this session.
This will be followed by a Project Pitch session on Private ventures in Tourism sector, moderated by Dr. Manoj Kumar K, MD, KTIL, which will feature pitch presentations of projects seeking mega investments of more than 100 crores.
The Inaugural session will be followed by presentation and pitches of tourism projects, which will feature investment opportunities from KIIFCON, proposed projects under the Government of Kerala and Private ventures in Tourism sector seeking medium and micro investments.
Innovative concepts and ideas in Tourism sector by startups and young entrepreneurs will be up in showcase in the next session.
The meet will then move onto a panel discussion on “Tourism Investment – Way Forward”. Dr Amareswar Galla, Chairperson, Tourism & Leisure Studies Research Network, USA and UNESCO Chair; Shri Santhosh George Kulangara, Member (Tourism), State Planning Board, and Ar. Vinod Cyriac, Chairperson, Indian Institute of Architects, Kerala Chapter will be the panellists.
Simultaneously, break-out sessions including B2B sessions and Investment Facilitation Meetings will also be held.
Business sessions on new products and initiatives that have turned the state into an all-season destination and helped it bounce back from the disruption caused by the pandemic will be a key component of the meet.
The state’s key attractions like caravan tourism, beach tourism, adventure tourism, wedding tourism, cine tourism, responsible tourism and scope for further growth of the hospitality industry will be showcased at the meet.
Another key feature of TIM is that it will provide a forum for local and small-scale entrepreneurs to explore the possibilities of engaging with the tourism sector by interacting with business leaders and officials.
The Tourism Department will consolidate the outcome of the deliberations and business meets at TIM for time-bound follow-up action. For this, a dedicated facilitation centre will be set-up.
