Plans to woo tourists from Middle East, Russia

Buoyed by the growing popularity of its 'Age Halt' programme that provides Ayurveda treatment on the go, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation is all set to woo tourists in a big way, especially from the Middle East and Russia, during the monsoon season.
Tourists are coming mostly from Germany, Britain, Russia and France, but KTDC is keen to enter the Gulf countries in a substantial manner.
"We have organised special road shows in the Gulf last year, and the Arabs are now coming to Kerala for the treatment of lifestyle diseases," KTDC Managing Director N Prashant said.
"The Arabs are tempted by the sight of rainfall. If we combine it with the Ayurvedic therapy, it will be a big opportunity for Kerala to leverage its traditional medicine system as a strong wellness quotient during the monsoon," he noted.

Ayurveda, as a tourism product, has great prospects in the Middle East, Australia and Russia, besides traditional markets in Germany, Kerala Tourism Director Rani George said.
The state tourism has already started a new campaign 'Kerala- The Home of Ayurveda' to promote Ayurveda in domestic as well as international markets.

"We are planning to launch a media blitzkrieg and outdoor hoardings in the Middle East early next month to promote Ayurveda tourism. In fact, we plan to target the entire Middle East to promote our tourist season from June to September which is the holiday season there," she said.
"Our Age Halt programme, launched last year, has sparked huge interest among the tourists both in India and abroad. It is a unique product that seamlessly combines Ayurvedic treatment and travel," said Prashant.

The programme provides exclusive Ayurveda packages through its premium properties such as Samudra (Kovalam), Bolgatty Palace, Bolgatty Island Resort and Marina House (Kochi), Tea County (Munnar), Lake Palace and Aranya Nivas (Thekkady) and Periyar House, inside the Periyar Sanctuary.