KTDC launches mobile phone campaign

KOCHI: Aiming to attract domestic tourists to the state, the Kerala Tourism Department has launched a campaign through mobile phones which will be implemented in a phased manner.

The first phase of the campaign, which is also a contest, has been launched with the onset of the monsoon.

The phase I will witness a threemonth ‘Discover Unseen Kerala’ contest on GPRS-enabled mobile phones.

The contest requires users to identify unseen locations featured on the mobsite and also answer questions about Kerala.

The winners will get a fully paid trip to some of the outstanding destinations in the state.

The database of mobile users collected in phase I will be used for phase II.

In the second phase, members of the Kerala Tourism mobile group will get alerts on Kerala Tourism, especially about its new packages.

And when the group grows to a significant size, the members will be encouraged to upload their photos and comments on the Kerala Tourism mobile site.

“The Kerala Tourism Dept is also planning more exposure to existing popular tourist destinations in the state. Mobile phones which have become a potential medium for exchanging multimedia content, has opened new doors for innovative marketing strategy. We will be making use of the best available technology to enhance the popularity of Kerala as a tourist destination,” said V Venu, secretary, Kerala Tourism.

There is also a potential participatory aspect in the new mobile strategy.

The first hand experience of a traveller visiting the state is more authentic than the words in an advertisement brochure.

Despite worries over financial crisis, the domestic tourism sector witnessed 75,91,250 domestic tourists coming to the state, showing a growth of 14.28 percent from the previous year.

December recorded the maximum number (7,50,415) of tourist arrivals in 2008, while the lowest (5,74,544) was in July.