Thiruvananthapuram, March 4 – In a significant inter-state collaboration, the Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies (KITTS), the human resource development arm of Kerala's Tourism Department, has launched a comprehensive training program for tourism officials from Tamil Nadu, focusing on Kerala's sustainable and innovative tourism models.
The program, inaugurated online by Tourism and Public Works Minister P. A. Mohamed Riyas at the KITTS campus here, will train 60 Tourism Information Officers from Tamil Nadu serving at the state and district levels.
The two-batch program began on Wednesday, with the second session scheduled from March 10 to March 12.
Welcoming the participants, Riyas emphasized the importance of knowledge exchange in unlocking the full potential of tourism in South India.
"Kerala is committed to providing a world-class learning experience to our colleagues from Tamil Nadu. By sharing our successful models, we aim to foster collective growth that benefits the entire region," he said.
Tourism Secretary K. Biju lauded KITTS for spearheading professional development initiatives that strengthen regional cooperation and institutional capacity.
The curriculum places strong emphasis on Kerala's globally recognized Responsible Tourism (RT) initiatives, sustainable destination management practices, and branding and promotional strategies that balance tourism growth with environmental and social responsibility.
Participants will gain hands-on exposure to policy frameworks and implementation mechanisms that have positioned Kerala as a benchmark in community-based and eco-conscious tourism development.
The current initiative builds on discussions held in August 2025, when a KITTS delegation met officials of the Tamil Nadu Tourism Department in Chennai to explore synergies in skill development, human resource training, and tourist guide certification.
The knowledge-sharing engagement is expected to expand further, with a proposed visit by Tamil Nadu District Collectors to study Kerala's District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) model and the ‘Destination Challenge’ framework.
Officials described the collaboration as a step towards structured "tourism diplomacy", aimed at creating a resilient, competitive, and sustainable travel ecosystem across southern India through shared expertise and institutional partnerships.