20 bloggers of international renown, 2 weeks, and a selection of experiences to elevate their senses. This year, the Kerala blog express is not just another trip that will let them catch some sights. The journey has been designed to be a sensory experience, ensuring the participants soak in the lush greenry of the state, visually rich art forms such as kathakali and kalarippayattu, authentic village and backwater experiences, as well as a heady ‘sadya‘ – the traditional festive spread of the state. This is meant to be a journey that will not just make them write about it, but turn them into evangelists of the ‘Kerala experience’, having been through it themselves.
The ‘Kerala blog express’ concept is one that gained popularity very quickly since it was first launched in 2014. The number of applicants has more than doubled over the last three years. If the first two editions helped create significant buzz around the event, the thrid edition this year has drawn over 1000 bloggers from over 66 countries – a sure sign that the event holds much appeal among the bloggers community around the world. The state narrowed the list down to 30 finalists based on several factors including their reach and popularity, votes from travel enthusiasts as well as blog quality.
God’s own : Earth, Water and Sky Image courtesy: keralatourism.org
Given tourism is a staple when it comes to the revenues of the state, the Kerala govenrment has been proactively engaged to strengthen its presence on the global tourism map. Today, digital and social are two avenues that need to be explored actively to understand their potential. While the state has always been active promoting itself through travel agents and online initiatives such as keralatourism.org, this is another step in the right direction that will keep them ahead of the curve. Travelers are increasingly taking to recommendations from influencers such as travel bloggers, and the sway these ‘experts’ hold simply cannot be ignored. An unforgettable experience in God’s own Country for these select few is what will then become the starting point to reach out to thousands of other potential travelers who are keen on exploring new destinations. The experiences that they share on their blogs will serve to spread the popularity and awareness of Kerala as a tourism destination.
The ‘Kerala blog express 3.0′ is sure to be much more than a roadtrip. The coach with the 30 bloggers was flagged off from Trivandrum on February 15th, and will cover multiple destinations across the length of the state over a 2 week period.
