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The centuries-old Ayurveda of Kerala showcased in the Kerala Tourism pavilion at the Moscow International Travel and Tourism Exhibition (MITT) has become a major hit with the international crowd.
The pavilion set up at the 24th edition of the annual fair, which is the largest and longest-running tourism trade event in Russia, saw a huge rush of Russian and other East European travellers.
The three-day event held from March 14 to 16 at the Expocentre in Moscow presented a sampling of the array of rejuvenation therapies besides other wellness highlights available in ‘God’s Own Country’.
For Kerala Tourism, Russia is the seventh biggest originating market with 32,726 tourist arrivals registered during 2015.
“The diversity of Kerala’s rich Ayurvedic tradition continues to be a difference-maker for us at our promotional campaigns around the world. Despite competing claims from emerging markets, tourists and trade operators are aware that our authenticity and mastery of the ancient tradition is unmatched,” said Mr. Kadakampally Surendran, Minister for Tourism, Kerala.
“While Goa and Sri Lanka are popular beach destinations for Russian travellers, the large majority prefers Kerala for its relaxing and rejuvenating offerings,” said Dr. Venu V., Principal Secretary, Kerala Tourism.
“This has been reflected in the large number of enquiries attracted by our pavilion, which we expect to translate into vacation bookings over the coming years as the Russian Ruble – and concurrently, the outbound tourism market – recovers,” he added.
According to a new survey of Russian households, holidaymakers from the country are back among the big spenders with the total amount they spent over 2016 rising some 40 percent over the previous year. Another key indicator for increased tourism demand is that Russia’s economy is forecast to no longer be in recession in 2017.
