Seeking to bolster Kerala’s tourism sector, the first focussed Tourism Investors Meet (TIM) to be held here on Thursday will roll out before business leaders and stakeholders from within the country and abroad, a wide array of investment opportunities.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the meet at Hyatt Regency. Minister for Tourism P.A. Mohamed Riyas will deliver the keynote address on the topic “Tourism Investment in Kerala – Vision and Opportunities”.
This will be followed by a project pitch session on ‘private ventures in tourism sector’, 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, a subsidiary of the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), 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 showcased in the next session.
The meet will then move onto a panel discussion on “Tourism Investment – Way Forward”, panel headed by Dr Amareswar Galla, Chairperson, Tourism and Leisure Studies Research Network, USA and UNESCO Chair. Simultaneously, break-out sessions including B2B sessions and investment facilitation meetings will also be held. 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.
According to Mr. Riyas, Kerala has immense scope for more tourism projects, which require investment. TIM will help attract investment to identify and develop such projects. The investors meet is aimed at tapping the huge potential of the sector by raising investment in well-established and emerging destinations, time-tested and new products, and by strategizing the upfront policy initiatives of recent years. “The principal aim of this meticulously worked out plan is to raise the share of tourism from 12 to at least 20% per cent of the State’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP).Apart from showcasing further possibilities in our core strengths, the investors will be taken through some of the emerging areas that await immediate investments,” said Mr. Riyas.
