The government is taking steps to increase the number of foreign tourists visiting Kerala each year from eight lakh to five million, and to ensure that they stay in the State for a minimum of seven days, Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan has said.

Similarly, efforts are on to increase the number of domestic tourists visiting Kerala, from 25 million to 100 million, he added, while inaugurating the 13th edition of Kerala Travel Mart here on Thursday. The B2B event, featuring 383 stalls showcasing the State’s tourism products, will be held from September 25 to 27 at the Sagara and Samudrika Convention Centres on Willingdon Island, near here. A total of over 3,000 buyers have registered for the mart.

The government is also making efforts to make optimal use of the State’s 600-km coastline, including through the integration of ports, so that the entire Keralam becomes a port city. By doing so, the aim is to shift at least 50% of goods transport from roads to the waterways, a cheaper and more eco-friendly option. While cruise terminals are on the anvil at Vizhinjam and Kozhikode, river cruises have been envisaged across the State, Mr. Satheesan said.

He added that an oceanarium and an international maritime museum are in the pipeline in Kochi. An international convention centre has been planned near the Cochin International Airport, while efforts are on to identify a permanent venue for the Kochi-Muziris Biennale.

While a culture park has been planned in Kozhikode, the zoo in Thiruvananthapuram will be shifted towards the forest boundary. Instead, the sprawling zoo premises will be converted to what Madison Square is to New York, Mr. Satheesan added.

Presiding over the function, P.C. Vishnunadh, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Cinema, said Kerala Tourism is promoting Ayurveda and wellness tourism in keeping with global preferences. Monsoon and farm stay tourism and destination weddings are among the other tourism products that are being promoted in a big way. Efforts are on to step up the marketing of Onam festival to an international audience. As part of this, Kerala Tourism is attracting visitors with the slogan ‘Be a Malayali for a Day’, “an opportunity for them to share our food, to discover traditions, and to participate in the celebrations,” he said.

M. Liju, Minister for Cooperation and Excise, said the government would take note of concerns raised by tourism stakeholders about the excise policy. Kerala Tourism Secretary K. Biju, Union Tourism Ministry Joint Secretary S. Harikishore, and KTM Society president Jose Pradeep spoke.