Thiruvananthapuram, January 22: Kerala Tourism, the state government’s tourism promotion agency, has won the award for the best international stand at global tourism fair Fitur held in Madrid in Spain, a statement said here Saturday.
The press release said this was the first time an Indian destination won the prestigious award at Fitur, which is the second largest tourism exhibition in the world.
“We are overwhelmed by the response received at the fair. The simple, yet classy stand was a major crowd-puller and gave the Spanish trade fair an endearing taste of God’s own country,” Kerala Tourism Director M. Sivasankar said.
The 58.5 sq metre stand depicted the backwaters of Kerala and was designed by the city-based Stark Communications.
The award, which is based on the design of the stand, its ability to attract visitors and materials used in its construction, is given to the best three international stands. Colombia and Portugal were the other destinations which won the award this year.
“Our aim was to offer visitors an authentic experience of the land and the backwaters, which is one of Kerala’s most sought-after attractions,” said Shelton Pinheiro, creative director of Stark Communications.
Fishing nets, country boats and lanterns added to the rustic charm of the stand built with eco-friendly materials.
Kerala Tourism regularly participates in major international trade fairs to promote the state as a tourist destination.
–Agencies