Thiruvananthapuram | In an endorsement of its innovative initiative to attract visitors to the state, Kerala Tourism has won the 2023 Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award in the category of 'Marketing Campaign (State & city - Global)'.
Conceptualised for an audience transitioning to normalcy, post-COVID, the state's award-winning campaign 'Make up for lost time, pack up for Kerala' targeted the domestic tourists.
It made a splash in all major media platforms, including print, radio, digital videos and banners (web portals), and social media channels, a statement said here on Friday.
Set up in 1984, the PATA Grand and Gold Awards recognise the finest contributions from the travel industry in the Asia- Pacific region with the winning projects consistently creating benchmarks for excellence and creativity, it said.
The prestigious award will be presented at the International Exhibition Convention Centre (IECC), Pragati Maidan, New Delhi, on October 5 during the PATA Travel Mart 2023 which runs from October 4 to 6, it said.
Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas said the award is a sterling recognition of Kerala Tourism's aggressive promotional campaign to woo back tourists who were cooped up inside their homes for a long period following the pandemic outbreak.
"Our campaign idea, 'Make up for lost time, pack up for Kerala', was simple and direct, and yet quite innovative, eloquently conveying the sentiments of people during the transition to normalcy," he said.
"The line also exhorted everyone to regain their fun and freedom in one of India's best-known destinations," Riyas added.
The campaign signalled a major shift by targeting the young crowd, exhorting them to savour the beauty of Kerala in a natural setting, be it adventure or leisure.
Tourism Secretary K Biju said the campaign played a key role in ensuring a massive uptick in the number of domestic tourists, and there are clear indications that the ongoing year would create a new record in the footfalls of visitors from within the country.
Tourism Director P B Nooh said it is significant that this international honour has been bestowed on Kerala Tourism at a time when the state has clocked a record in domestic tourist arrivals and there is a steady increase in arrival of holiday-makers from all key markets around the world, the statement added.