Dear Readers ,
“ If opportunity doesn ’ t knock , build a door ”
To start this edition of Metro Mart I am using the quote of Milton Berle , an Emmy-winning American comedian and actor . Apart from being the capital city of our state , Thiruvananthapuram was always in the world map for its nature . Its beaches , hills , temples and the hospitality of cityites used to bring foreign tourists regularly back to the city , an industry grown without much human efforts .
Foreword
Today things have changed . Tourism industry , being one of the major sources of income to our city is in need of critical attention . We are competing with global tourism destinations and also with our own national tourist destinations to woo the revenue . With complete information and statistics at their finger tips a tourist have different options to choose from for a perfect holiday . We have to accept the fact that we are not having global tourist-friendly atmosphere as well as the cost is slightly higher comparing to our neighboring destinations . ess 3
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During the last meeting of South Kerala Hoteliers Forum , its Secretary General M R Narayanan emphasized the need of aggressive marketing to increase the inflow of tourists . We have to market our destination across the year with different packages , not only in the international market but to the tourists across our country . Domestic tourist numbers have grown for the last one decade , and now contribute a lot of revenue , which can still be tapped better . All stakeholders must come together to market our destination with the best guest services , following Kerala ’ s doctrine of “ Athithi Devo Bhava ”.
In this edition , we feature our city in rain , The Monsoon – a major attraction for tourists to come and experience the calm nature and pleasant weather in our city . Today we have to create opportunities to survive and be successful in the most competitive environment .
It ’ s your feedback that has always helped us to bring the better side of METRO . I look forward to hear from you . Your reviews help us to make METRO , Smart . Till then happy reading .
Hari Shanker Manag8ing Editor www . metromartdaily . com July 2013 5