HATS to organise Intl tourism meet from Sep 15

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 8: Kerala Homestay and Tourism Society (HATS) will organise the three-day second edition of International Homestay and Rural Tourism Meet in Kochi from September 15. The main objective of the Travel meet is to enhance the business opportunities in the state for Home stay providers, serviced villas and Grihastelly providing a platform to network with industry players. The Meet is one of the largest B2B event for homestays and rural tourism in the country which will also be attended by National and International tour operators, entrepreneurs and destination management companies. The meet will kick start at Bolghatty Palace wherein 1500 participants are expected to take part. “Homestays are inevitable part of state tourism and helps the industry to connect with the travel enthusiasts. The B2B meet is expected to discuss recommendations to boost the rural tourism sector.” said Mr. P Bala Kiran IAS, Director, Kerala Tourism. The general travel trend of tourists these days is not just a visit to the place but also to experience and live the experience. The recently conducted Adventure tourism workshop, HATS meet in Kochi etc will all add value to the government’s current initiative in rebranding Kerala Tourism and project the state tourism globally in the appropriate manner, he added. Once the sector grows with its potential, there will be a huge job opportunity in Homestay business thereby enhancing opportunities equally in Tourism sector, said Mr.Sivadathan, Director, HATS . The trends these days also show that most foreign tourists prefer such homestay facilities for a better living experience of the habitat, he added. During the B2B meet, Seminars and discussions on the potential and challenges of the sector will also be organised. UNI