In a country-first initiative, the Kerala Tourism Department today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) to leverage innovative solutions to enhance the tourism experience by onboarding the state’s flourishing startup ecosystem. Tourism Director Smt Sikha Surendran and KSUM CEO Shri Anoop Ambika signed the MoU at a function held at the Mascot Hotel in the presence of Tourism Minister Shri P A Mohamed Riyas.
“By integrating innovative ideas and technology from the state’s robust startup ecosystem, the state can accelerate the growth of the tourism sector, especially in the context of the state’s focus on increasing foreign tourist footfall. This financial year will see technology-dominated innovations in the tourism sector, and this MoU will act as a catalyst in that direction,” said Tourism Minister Mohamed Riyas.
The collaboration is set to bring about a major transformation in the state’s tourism sector, enabling a far more hassle-free travel experience and increasing the state’s tourist footfall. The partnership will also help develop attractive tourism products and present them worldwide using innovative ideas and technologies.
The MoU aims at setting up an innovation centre, which is also the first such initiative in the country. One of the key objectives of the partnership is to promote caravan tourism by establishing modern, well-equipped caravan parks. These parks aim to attract both domestic and foreign tourists by offering a unique travel experience in line with global trends. It also seeks to promote Workation/Startup Pods, blending scenic accommodations with co-working facilities, to cater to the growing demand for remote work opportunities in picturesque settings.
Smt. Sikha Surendran said this MoU with KSUM is a significant step towards integrating the tourism sector with tech-based solutions. “Many ideas are under consideration by the Tourism Department to ramp up the state’s tourism sector. Our top priority is to provide tech-based solutions to address issues in the tourism sector in areas like basic amenities, security, and enhancing the tourism experience,” she said.
She added that a literature circuit where tourists can experience destinations linked to Malayalam literary classics is under consideration since many of these have been translated into global languages.
Addressing the students of Kerala Tourism Club and Kerala Institute of Travel and Tourism Studies (KITTS), present at the function, Shri Anoop Ambika said, “We should think about out-of-the-box ideas that can be developed into viable products in tourism that are unique to Kerala and add value to the tourism sector. We are planning on three projects initially: caravan trails, an app where everyone can pitch in with less explored places in a region that has the potential of tourism for the benefit of caravan tourists. Secondly, the startup pods, which aim to attract a tech crowd by providing fully facilitated pods in scenic locations to promote a better workstation experience. The third is to find tech-based solutions for better public restroom facilities.”
Shri S K Sajesh, Chairman, Kerala Tourism Infrastructure Ltd. (KTIL), Dr Dileep M R, Director, Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS), P Vishnuraj, Additional Director (General), and Dr. Manoj Kini, Managing Director, KTIL, attended the function. Shri Sajesh mentioned how cutting-edge technologies like VR and AI can be integrated into tourism for a better experience. Dr. Manoj Kini said it is important to create interpretation centres where tourists can get a vivid glimpse into the cultural context of tourist destinations and products.
The partnership between the Tourism Department and KSUM also underscores the importance of sustainable solutions by focusing on eco-friendly sanitation systems and deploying tech-enabled cleaning mechanisms. It also envisions the introduction of AI-powered multilingual information kiosks to provide seamless and accessible assistance to tourists, ensuring a well-informed and convenient travel experience.
Central to the agreement is the establishment of Freedom Square, which will serve as a hub for collaboration, fostering innovation and entrepreneurial growth. Another key feature is the creation of a Hospitality and Tourism Innovation Centre, which aims to nurture innovative solutions tailored to the tourism sector.
This centre will act as a catalyst for startups to develop and deploy technologies that enhance operational efficiency and customer engagement within the industry.