T’puram: State govt is planning to make this year’s Onam week celebrations more vibrant and internationally appealing by encouraging greater participation of foreign tourists, tourism minister P C Vishnunadh said on Saturday.Chairing a review meeting of various committees overseeing the celebrations at Thycaud Guest House, the minister said brochures containing details of the Onam week programmes would be distributed in advance through hotels to attract international visitors. Promotional campaigns would also be carried out in neighbouring states to increase footfall during the week-long festivities.The minister said the popular food festival at Kanakakunnu would be further enhanced to provide visitors with a more attractive culinary experience.Transport minister C P John said special opportunities would be provided for tribal artists to showcase their traditional art forms during the celebrations. Arrangements would also be made to enable people from the interior parts of the district to travel to the city and participate in the festivities.The Onam week celebrations will be held from Aug 24 to Aug 30. The ministers directed officials to launch publicity campaigns without delay and expedite the work of the various organizing committees to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival.To encourage greater public participation, the govt will also examine the feasibility of scheduling major cultural programmes from 6pm onwards, making it easier for working people and families to attend.The meeting also proposed incorporating “Toofan” as one of the major themes of this year’s celebrations to spread awareness against drug abuse. In addition to the main events in the city, district tourism promotion council (DTPC) will organize celebrations at various locations across the district.Besides the existing venues, a new venue will be introduced at Kovalam this year, expanding the geographical reach of the festivities. The meeting also discussed leveraging the growing destination wedding segment during the Onam season to provide a boost to Kerala’s tourism industry.Among those who attended the meeting were MLAs M Vincent, M R Baiju, Ramya Haridas, Sudheer Sha Palode, C K Hareendran, G Stephen and V Muraleedharan, district panchayat president V Priyadarshini, Thiruvananthapuram city police commissioner Arul R B Krishna, tourism department additional director Sreedhanya Suresh, and senior officials from various govt departments.
