A core group of bloggers from around the country concluded their travel across Kerala to generate their experiential accounts over new media as part of ‘My First Trip 2021’ campaign organized by Kerala Tourism to bring back tourists in post-Covid times.
The video-centric campaign by young influencers drew to a close in Kochi, turning a new leaf in Kerala Tourism’s efforts to enable travelers re-focus their attention on the famed destinations in God’s Own Country.
The ‘My First Trip 2021’ initiative under the Kerala Blog Express saw its ten participants on specially branded cars undertake different itineraries for five days before converging here to share their experience briefly over dinner.
More of their narratives will be emerging in the coming days and weeks as images, videos and literature shared on social media platforms with #MyFirstTrip as the hashtag.
“The bloggers who joined the trip will virtually announce to the world that tourism in Kerala has picked up a year after we were locked down owing to the pandemic,” said Rani George, Principal Secretary, Kerala Tourism. The state has, for the past six months, been showing signs of a major revival in tourism. ‘My First Trip 2021’ will reinforce this trend, she added.
Kerala Tourism is certain to gain greater visibility in the coming days through the writings, images, and videos generated by the participants, who command a good following on social media,” said VR Krishna Teja, Director, Kerala Tourism.
At a celebratory function in the state-owned Bolgatty Palace last evening, the bloggers gave a glimpse of their March 25-29 trip. The travellers were from both metropolises and small cities: Mumbai (four), Delhi (three), and one each from Hyderabad (Telangana), Visakhapatnam (Andhra Pradesh), and Ajmer (Rajasthan).
Unlike its previous editions, Kerala Blog Express this time featured only domestic influencers, aiming to boost the domestic marketing initiatives of Kerala Tourism.
The #MyFirstTrip destinations came under a wide purview: rural life, adventure, cuisine, culture, and lifestyle among others. Dotting North Malabar to the state’s deep south, each stopover overwhelmed the bloggers.
The other places along the bloggers’ itinerary included Thumboormuzhi Garden and Athirappaly waterfalls near Chalakudy in Thrissur district, Malakkapara hill-station, Munroe Island (Kollam) and the bird sanctuary in Kumarakom (Kottayam), Muziris Heritage project sites north of Kochi, Punnamada lake, Marari beach, boating along the Periyar lake, Tea Museum and the dams in Idukki district, besides water sports at Cherai, off Kochi.
