Kerala Tourism has embarked on an intensive marketing drive to showcase and promote its “game-changing” Caravan Tourism initiative across the country. Branded Keravan Kerala, the project has evinced interest from stakeholders and is set to have more than 1,000 caravans plying in the State.
Around 150 caravan parks will soon be developed as part of the government’s stakeholder and tourist-friendly Caravan Tourism policy. This is evident from the expressions of interest received from entrepreneurs to run 280 tourist caravans and operate 148 caravan parks across the State. A caravan park has just come up at Wagamon in Idukki, while a few caravans are already in operation.
Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas said Keravan Kerala is an upfront initiative that has elicited a keen response from the industry, with a large number of potential investors showing interest in setting up caravan parks and operating caravans in the State.
“The caravan policy marks a strategic shift to present the entire State before the global audience based on the concept of ‘exploring the unexplored’ round the year,” he said. “It has the potential to become a game-changer for the State’s tourism that has suffered a crippling blow in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Hence, we have decided to launch an aggressive pan-India campaign to give it a huge impetus,” said Mr. Riyas.
Apart from the Benz caravan that was first launched in Kerala in October last year, Force Motorhome, Luxe Camper (of Bengaluru-based start-up Campervan Camps), and Chhattisgarh-based Moto Glampers have since launched their caravan vehicles, giving a variety of options.
K.S. Srinivas, Principal Secretary, Kerala Tourism, said: “Caravan tourism has huge potential to attract domestic tourists who have been the mainstay of the State’s tourism revival after the pandemic started tapering off.”
