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Kerala Tourism has been honoured with the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award 2024 for its innovative 'Holiday Heist' campaign in the Digital Marketing Campaign category. This recognition highlights Kerala's exceptional efforts to attract tourists through creative digital marketing.
Initiated in July 2023, 'Holiday Heist' was a month-long interactive bidding game conducted via Kerala Tourism's WhatsApp ChatBot, Maya. The campaign quickly gained widespread popularity, attracting 80,000 bids from travellers across India, eager to explore Kerala's prime destinations at remarkably low prices. The campaign generated over 45 million impressions and more than 13 million video views, demonstrating significant reach and engagement. Participants used a 'lowest unique bidding' strategy to win tour packages worth over Rs 30,000 for just 5 rupees, emphasizing strategic thinking and creativity, setting it apart from traditional auctions.
Throughout the campaign, Maya facilitated 520,000 interactions, reflecting the enthusiasm and shared passion of participants for exploring Kerala, often referred to as God's Own Country. Each day in July, Maya introduced new tour packages, providing fresh opportunities for participants to secure incredible deals.
The PATA Gold Award 2024 will be formally presented to Kerala Tourism at a ceremony at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Centre in Bangkok, Thailand, on August 28. The Tourism Minister Shri P. A. Mohamed Riyas praised 'Holiday Heist' as a landmark achievement in tourism marketing, highlighting its role in redefining tour package promotions, and fostering creativity and adventure. He noted that the campaign’s success is a testament to Kerala Tourism’s dynamic promotional efforts aimed at reviving tourism in the post-pandemic era.
The minister Shri Riyas also emphasized the campaign's positive impact on stakeholders, boosting confidence through its phenomenal response. Shri K. Biju, Secretary, Kerala Tourism highlighted the campaign's effectiveness in increasing domestic tourism, while Smt. Sikha Surendran, Director, Kerala Tourism pointed out that this global recognition comes at a time when Kerala is experiencing a notable rise in international tourist arrivals.
