Bid the lowest and enjoy an exotic holiday in God’s Own Country!

The Kerala Tourism Department has hit upon an innovative idea to sell God’s Own Country to tourists. It has launched an online bidding game christened ‘VisitKerala BidWars’ offering holiday packages at seemingly no cost.

The bidding takes place on the Facebook page of Kerala Tourism (http://bit.ly/KeralaBidWars). An android app titled ‘VisitKerala BidWars’ which is available on Google Play Store (http://bit.ly/VisitKeralaBidWars) can also be used to take part in the bidding.

The bid, brought together by accredited tour operators, includes packages from Rs.8,000 to Rs.78,000. The bidding process begins with signing up on app or downloading the ‘VisitKerala BidWars’ app from Play Store. The campaign is anchored on an online bidding system known popularly as the ‘lowest unique bid.’

Under this bidding system, the package, which is up for bidding, is won by the bidder whose bids the lowest. If two people bid the same price, that amount will be dropped. The packages range from two nights to 10 days.

The bidding will happen for one package, each at a time. The bid will be active for a few days. The winner will be announced for each package after it ends and before the next package is set for bidding.

The bidding game, aimed at domestic travellers, is organised as part of the ongoing ‘Visit Kerala 2015’ campaign. Kerala Tourism has over 1.2 million fans on Facebook which it plans to leverage for promoting the State’s tourist destinations.

The bidding game has elicited overwhelming response from tour operators and travellers. Attractive packages covering the state’s exotic tourist destinations like Kochi, Munnar, Thekkady, Alleppey, Kovalam etc. are up for bidding.

The bidding game is part of a slew of activities planned by the Tourism Department to promote Kerala as a perfect tourist destination. Kerala has witnessed a surge in tourist arrivals–both domestic and foreign–in recent times. According to official statistics, about one million foreign tourists and1.16 crore domestic tourists visited Kerala in 2014, which is a 8% rise in numbers over the previous year.

The state earned foreign exchange to the tune of Rs 6,399 crores and a total revenue (direct and indirect) of Rs24,885 crores from tourism in 2014. The state is expecting 15% increase in the number of tourist arrivals this year.

With the Arabian Sea in the west, the Western Ghats towering 500-2700 meters in the east and networked by 44 rivers, Kerala’s unique geographical features have made it one of the most sought-after tourist destinations in Asia.

Travel guides publisher “Lonely Planet” has named Kerala among the world’s 10 best destinations for a family holiday in 2014.

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