SULEKHA NAIR

Posted online: Sunday, July 15, 2007 at 0022 hours IST

With ayurveda as its USP, Kerala is poised for more premium spa outlets even as four concepts of tourism make it an international hotspot

God’s own country is perhaps India’s most popular state with tourists. Indeed, Kerala’s economy is to a large extent built on and around tourism. Last year, 67 lakh tourists visited the state, of which 4.28 lakh were foreigners.

Kishore Tolia, manager, inbound tourists, Raj Travels, says that the highest number of bookings his agency gets on a average day is for Kerala. The reasons are many, he says. “Kerala has four concepts to sell. A hill station like Munnar, which has coffee plantations and is in a green belt, affords exotica to a tourist. Then there are wild life sanctuaries. Take for instance Thekkady, which has the Periyar sanctuary. The combination of a hill station and a wild life sanctuary makes it very pleasant. The backwaters are the other attraction. Kumarakom or Allepey is a beautiful concept which one cannot get anywhere else in India. The beaches are beautiful. Be it the most popular Kovalam or the Cherai beach, each one of them has its own attraction. The temples in Kerala are beautiful and these are not just an attraction for the devout but also for any tourist. Elephants, music, the temple scenery are all enchanting for any traveller.”

Kerala offers home stays in authentic heritage homes which are over half a century old and retain their traditional architecture. These are major attractions for travelers and combined with traditional meals, are irresistible combinations. “The best thing about Kerala is that the government and the private sector are not at loggerheads. The state -run hotels and the five stars coexist harmoniously,” says Tolia.

Says Ajay Prakash, general secretary, Travel Federation of India: “The state has been on a relentless advertising campaign for long. Unlike the Incredible India campaign which petered off after a while, Kerala Tourism has been innovating its campaign. Marketing is the big success for any product. The state has much to offer. With more five stars coming up, the tourists have a larger range to choose from. What the state should guard and encourage is exclusivity for its choosy travelers — the ones who want homestays, hotels with traditional architecture, food; for this even an unstarred property could serve well.”

Kerala is on the threshold of adding a number of five stars hotels. As of now, there are 12 hotels with five-star facilities. Radisson Plaza is the latest entrant. Says Dr Sanjay Kaul, director, Kerala Tourism: “We expect a steady growth of 15-20% in international tourist arrivals and 5% in domestic tourist arrivals.” With such an expected projection, five stars in Kerala can only rake in the moolah. “A few more five-star hotels are coming up across the state and will help in dispersing the tourism activity in the state,” he said.

Think spa and chances are you will think of ayurveda. Radisson Plaza Resort & Spa, Kumarakom, has set up spa facilities which comprise three therapies: Ayurveda, Oriental and Western. What does a five-star offer that is different from the spa and health treatments in the health facilities all over in the state? Says Dr Shaswatha Chandra, spa manager of Maya: “The state is known for its health rejuvenation packages. But the Maya treatment is different, it does not give the raw smells of oils and poultices. Thus, you get the benefit of a health massage, be it any system — ayurveda, oriental or western, without the sharp accompanying smells.”

Spa facilities in India are in the nascent stage, says Jaideep Singh, VP, Operations, Phoenix Group, the company that owns and developed the Radisson property. “What people must realise is that spa is not a beauty treatment. We are looking at holistic patterns of healing and this involves the mind.” A five-night six-day package can take care of it, he says.

The Radisson Spa, spread over 18 acres and which claims to be in the super premium league, offers exotic massages besides the traditional and known treatments such as Abhyangam — a traditional oil massage, Nirvana — a therapy that includes a relaxing whole body ayurvedic massage and Shirodhara, for deep relaxation. Then there are the exotic over-an-hour massages such as Royal Princess Makeover (three and a half hours) — a complete spa treatment that promises to make you a princess from head to toe. This includes a variety of exclusive therapies, like seasonal fruit body, karuthakayal mud pack, honey milk facial or aloe vera facial followed by a whole body relaxing massage; Maya bliss (120 minutes) promising relaxation with a fresh fruit based Ayurvedic facial and a whole body massage ending with a shirodhara or a Maya indulgence (120 minutes) — massage followed by Shirodhara culminating in a floral bath that has a rich mixture of handpicked herbs, milk and flowers.

Says Chandra: “Maya or illusion is a pampering programme. What we offer at the hotel is illusion,” in lush green earth-and-water surroundings blessed by the gods. So whether it is to soak in the sunshine, or lounge on the beach, with a spa treatment in between to pamper your tired body, this sliver of land between the densely forested hills and deep blue waters is just what the doctor ordered for a rejuvenating break

Financial Express