Kerala Tourism campaign wins Golden City Gate Award

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Tourism's new campaign on responsible tourism has bagged the prestigious ' Golden City Gate Award' at the world's leading travel trade show ITB in Berlin.

Titled 'New Worlds', the multimedia campaign containing three short films directed by reputed Malayalam filmmaker Anwar Rasheed won the silver prize of this year's Das Golden Stadttor or Golden City Gate, dubbed the Oscar of tourism communication, at the Internationale Tourismus-Borse Berlin (ITB-Berlin) 2016, a press release here said.

Wolfgang Jo Huschert, President, Jury of the Golden City Gate Award presented the award to Abraham George, President, Kerala Travel Mart.

Kerala Tourism had earlier won the 'Ulysses' Prize of the United Nations World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) for its contribution as a global leader to sustainable tourism.

The 'New Worlds' campaign was launched internationally by UNWTO Secretary General Taleb Rifai at the World Travel Mart in London.

Tourism policies in Kerala, tempered by an understanding of the uniqueness of the destination, have created a positive impact on the larger interests of the people, on the destinations natural treasures and on the vibrant culture of the state, it said.

'New Worlds' portrays the importance of such Responsible Tourism initiatives, which have led to several life-changing stories that have become the heart of the campaign, it said.

The film has common people instead of actors and models and the stories are set in the actual locations in Kerala.

The film, which shows tourists visiting local communities, sharing home-made meals, and watching and engaging in cultural performances, demonstrates the vision that when the world comes to Kerala, it said, 'New Worlds' open up.

The film attempts to present in a real and authentic environment a set of true stories of transformation and preservation involving tourism and the local communities.

ITB Berlin, which began on March 9, concludes tomorrow.