Kerala bags maximum national tourism awards

Thiruvananthapuram: The state has bagged the largest number of honours at the 2013-14 National Tourism Awards distributed by the President recently.

Kerala bagged a total of 10 prizes. While the Tourism Department won four, private entrepreneurs in the state received six.

The Department won the National Tourism Awards for Excellence in Publishing Foreign Language, Best Tourism Film, Most Innovative Use of Information Technology and, fourthly, for the Thekkady Responsible Tourism Project.

In the private sector, the awardees were: Dravidian Trail (in Foreign Exchange Earnings), Coconut Creek Farm (Bed & Breakfast), Coconut Lagoon (Heritage Classic Category), Marari Beach Resort (3-star hotels), Vivanta By Taj, Kumarakom (4-star) and Somatheeram Research Institute & Ayurveda Hospital (Wellness Centre).