By IANS
Thiruvananthapuram : A 46-day Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF) will open Dec 1, at 14 district headquarters across the state, to attract foreign tourists and buyers.
The state tourism department, which made the announcement here Wednesday, said Finance Minister Thomas Isaac mooted the plan during the assembly’s budget session early this year.
“GKSF would promote local traditional products, such as marine products, decorative items, handicrafts, consumer durables, jewellery, textiles, resorts and the ayurveda centres,” the State Tourism Minister, Kodiyeri Balakrishnan told reporters here.
He said the festival would promote business and tie-ups. The entrepreneurs would get the GKSF branding, with special GKSF arches and danglers on their stores.
“Customers would get lucky coupons which have attractive prizes to be won,” said Balakrishnan.
The festival is being planned at the peak of the tourist season in Kerala, to enable the entrepreneurs to get more buyers for their products.