Luring tourists with his lens

"VARU, WELCOME to Kerala" was the theme of the day at the Taj Coromandel. The ad show (the road show they called it) put up by the Tourism Department of Kerala was a broadside to build bridges with the trade and media in Chennai. Posters described the State as the "green stress-buster". "One of the ten paradises found among the 50 must-see places of a lifetime", proclaimed The National Geographic Traveller. "Hot spot for the millennium", announced the Emirates in-flight magazine. A host of other leisure magazines wrote on similar lines. It was an up-market product promotion exercise. Only the product was lavished by a divine palette.

The brochures talked of a world of simple pleasures. A backwater ride in the ecologically sound kettuvallam, the traditional rice boat-turned-house-boat. Glimpses of daily life of the people invested with great serenity. The rejuvenating experience of Ayurveda, "created by God, prescribed by Nature". The festivals that match the surrounding bounty in colour and richness. The unparalleled martial arts. The wildlife sanctuaries. The hill stations. The unspoilt beaches. And all the green grandeur 'visualised' in a breath-taking multi-media presentation by the brilliant cinematographer Santosh Sivan.

It is the marketing strategy that leaves you groping for words. It is aggressive all right, but pleasantly so. Amitabh Kant, secretary, Tourism and V. Venu, Director, Kerala Tourism, hosted a promo that had all the hallmarks of a top notch ad agency. First comes the invite that includes a photocopy of a travel write-up that appeared in The Financial Times, London, a detailed report of the recent tourism development activities undertaken and a personal invitation from the secretary.

At the presentation venue, you are welcomed with a bright paper bag that has more of the high quality ad material: a glossy brochure, photographs which demand to be framed, exhaustive information on tour packages, a 'companion' volume listing the tourist spots, a booklet on Ayurvedic centres titled "When life gets tiring, apply Kerala", a colourful map with all the information you will need at a glance and a CD that brings all of this together.

Go through the books and log on to www.keralatourism.org, and you will get to know Kerala intimately. If you still need a person to speak to, visit the Kerala Tourism office on C-in-C Road, Chennai.

How much would a reasonably comfortable tour of Kerala for a week cost? "Around Rs. 8,000," was Kant's reply.

The highlight of the presentation was undoubtedly the short documentary by Santosh Sivan. Shot over 20 days during the lashing Kerala monsoon, Sivan takes his camera through the vertical stretch of the State to capture its beauty from various angles.

The camera unobtrusively follows the slow rhythm of life in the backwaters and also captures the ecstasy on the tourists' faces as they undergo an oil message. The striking poses of the Kathakali dancers, the frenzied activity of the boat racers, the bounty of spices in the plantations, the acrobatic acts of the martial arts warriors, the pachyderms throwing mud into the water... the pictures freeze the unrestrained bliss of Kerala.

GEETA PADMANABHAN

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