Shoppers' favourite Dubai festival soon in Kerala

Dubai, Nov 19 (UNI) To woo NRIs from the UAE, the south Indian state of Kerala will host a shopping festival from December 1 to January 15, 2008 on the lines of the Dubai Shopping Festival (DSF).

Addressing mediapersons here, Kerala Minister of Home and Tourism Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said, ''The Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF) would showcase Kerala as a shopping destination.'' The 45-day event would target people from the state itself and also from the neighbouring states. Besides the NRIs in the UAE, it also aims to attract the Indians living in the UK and the US.

Appreciating the DSF, Principal Secretary of Kerala Government's Industries Department and general convener of GKSF T Balakrishnan said, ''Dubai is a pioneer in shopping festival. While the commercial format of the GKSF would be the same as the DSF, the focus would be on traditional products.'' 'We are looking at marketing traditional products like handicrafts, handloom fabric, marine products, decorative items, coir, jewellery, cashew, spices and consumer durables etc and globally branding them,'' the Khaleej times quoted the principal secretary as saying.

With the participation of about one lakh business establishments including retail stores, manufacturers, traders, service providers, lifestyle stores, restaurants, hotels, resorts, Ayurveda massage centres, spas and various tourism centres, the festival aims at boosting trade and commerce in the Indian state.

To fetch a good deal, the government has offered many prizes like luxury cars and consumer durables and holiday packages and it is also planning special cultural and entertainment programmes in all the districts.

UNI