Friday, July 19, 2024 Kerala Tourism has clinched the prestigious Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Gold Award 2024, triumphing in the Digital Marketing Campaign category with its online contest ‘Holiday Heist’. This innovative marketing endeavor has significantly bolstered its efforts to draw tourists. Launched in July 2023, ‘Holiday Heist’ featured an enthralling month-long bidding contest via the Tourism Department’s WhatsApp ChatBot, Maya, which quickly proved to be a blockbuster hit, drawing an astounding 80,000 bids from all over India to explore the state’s top attractions at astonishingly low rates.
The campaign, which took place in July 2023, not only captured over 45 million views but also amassed more than 13 million video views. It marked a pioneering initiative in India, where some fortunate participants snagged vacation packages valued at over Rs 30,000 for as little as five rupees through clever bidding strategies. During the campaign, ‘Maya’ engaged with participants in over 520,000 interactions, creating a vibrant atmosphere filled with excitement, dreams, and shared passions for discovering the wonders of Kerala.
The campaign’s unique ‘lowest unique bidding’ game encouraged participants to submit their most unique and lowest bids to win exclusive tour packages, promoting strategic thinking and creativity. “The award is a vital recognition of Kerala Tourism’s aggressive promotional campaign, through which we were able to woo back tourists post-pandemic era. We have to keep up the momentum of growth by introducing brilliant and novel concepts like this in the sector,” he said .
‘Maya’, the official WhatsApp ChatBot of Kerala Tourism (contactable at 7510512345), unveiled new vacation packages daily throughout July, offering fresh opportunities for success each day. The award will be presented to Kerala Tourism at a ceremony on August 28 at the Queen Sirikit National Convention Center in Bangkok, Thailand. Tourism Minister Shri P.
A. Mohamed Riyas hailed ‘Holiday Heist’ as a groundbreaking endeavor that has transformed tourism marketing and sparked a sense of adventure among tourists. Shri Riyas also highlighted the campaign’s substantial impact in boosting stakeholder confidence through its overwhelming response.
Tourism Secretary Shri K Biju noted the crucial role the campaign played in driving a significant increase in domestic tourist visits. Tourism Director Smt Sikha Surendran emphasized the significance of this global recognition at a time when Kerala is experiencing a surge in international tourists. Established in 1984, the PATA Grand and Gold Awards honor exceptional contributions in the travel industry across the Asia-Pacific region, setting high standards for innovation and excellence.
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