Saudi Gazette

JEDDAH — The recently held Kerala Tourism Road Show gave a large number of Saudi citizens, including tour operators, businessmen and businesswomen, an opportunity to know more closely about the vast potential and immense opportunities in the vibrant tourism sector in the southern Indian state of Kerala.

The Association for Arab Tour Operators (AATO) organized the event in association with the Department of Tourism, government of Kerala, and in coordination with Wadak International Company at Jeddah Le Meridien Hotel.

Indian Vice Consul (Labor) Sanjay Kumar Sharma inaugurated the show in which Mir Gazanfar Ali Zaki, general secretary of Saudi Indian Business Network, and TMA Rauf delivered felicitation speeches. Abdurahman Al-Yami, chairman of Wadak International, was among the Saudi dignitaries who attended the event.

Representatives of 25 tourism and travel firms from Kerala attended the show and they explained features of landmark tourism destinations in Kerala in front of the Saudi guests.

They showcased the huge tourism potential of Kerala through acquainting them with the famous tourism destinations so as to facilitate them to tap the vast opportunities. The presentations gave the attendees a vivid picture of the most popular tourism destinations in Kerala such as Munnar, Thekkady, Kumali, Kozhikode, Wayanad and Kumarakom, which is famous for its backwater tourism.

AATO President and Managing Partner of Khaleej Tours Thomas Babu, AATO General Secretary Sakeer Hussain Mannanheri, Nasar Veliyankode, executive member of AATO and chairman of its Middle East Coordination Committee, AATO members Anwar Sadat, and Muhammad Ansari were among the organizers of the event.

Former President of AATO Rasheed Kakkat, the master of the ceremony, made the presentation about Kerala in English while Mohammed Bava, managing director of Kerala Siyaha Holidays, made it in Arabic. AATO Treasurer Mohammed Anees proposed the vote of thanks.