"Tap Online Potential to Market Handicrafts Globally" Kerala CM

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan recently said it is important to tap the possibilities of online marketing for handicraft products to preserve and promote the state&rsquos widely-acclaimed art and craft traditions and enhance their global appeal.

Vijayan was speaking after dedicating the first phase of Kerala Arts & Crafts Village (KACV) at Vellar near Kovalam as a sprawling campus to showcase Kerala&rsquos vibrant art and cultural heritage. 

&ldquoThe project is aimed at preserving our traditional arts and handicrafts. By lending a unique appeal to arts and crafts, we have to raise them to global standards. It is also important to explore the opportunity of online marketing of our handicraft products,&rdquo said Vijayan, while inaugurating the facility through video conference.

Noting that it&rsquos a proud moment for tourism sector, the Chief Minister said the KACV would be firmly marked on the global tourism map. 

&ldquoTourism sector is forging ahead by overcoming so many challenges. Due to COVID-19, the sector has incurred a loss of Rs 40,000 crore. The government is committed to bring about a growth in tourism sector without harming the environment,&rdquo he said.  

Spread around 8.5 acres of panoramic locale, KACV has been designed and implemented by Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society Ltd (ULCCS Ltd) for Kerala Tourism Department, making it an ideal destination for visitors and art buffs alike to enjoy the best of Kerala&rsquos traditional, folk and ethnic art,craft and performing traditions.ULCCS has completed the first phase of the project at a cost of Rs 20 crore.

Vijayan noted that ULCCS has completed the first phase of KACV before the stipulated time.

The state tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran, who presided over the function, said that the government&rsquos approach is to promote tourism as an activity for the economic benefit of the common people. &ldquoIn that sense, KACV is a shining model and it will definitely elevate the position of Kerala, especially Kovalam and the capital city, on the global tourism map to the golden status.&rdquo

Surendran also launched KACV Kalari Academy Concept Book by handing it over to Kalaripayattu practitioner and Padma Shri recipient Meenakshi Amma.

The key features of the complex include an amphitheatre, museums, studios for craftspeople to work and an art gallery, enabling the visitors to have a hands-on feel of the rich and diverse heritage of Kerala handed down through centuries.

The campus has dedicated spaces for artisans and craftspeople, mostly from south Kerala, to work and sell their exquisite and authentic products. Visitors can buy souvenirs and curios to add to their collection. Developed along the lines of Sargalaya at Iringal in Kozhikode district, Kerala Arts & Crafts Village has a design strategy lab, game zones, handloom village, reading rooms, food courts, walkways and rest areas, making it an all-inclusive leisure spot.