In a country first, Kerala Tourism today launched its 24×7 WhatsApp chatbot ‘Maya’ to enable tourists to access all information and updates about the tourism ecosystem in the state by just sending a ‘Hi’ to the WhatsApp no 7510512345, or by scanning the QR code to access the service.
Launching the dedicated WhatsApp interactive service at a function here, Tourism Minister Shri PA Mohamed Riyas said Maya will serve as a virtual travel assistant for tourists to ask and get complete information they need for a hassle-free travel experience in the state.
“The chatbot service, which leverages the potential of the technology for tourism development, will help attract more tourists to Kerala. The tourists can easily access a whole lot of information regarding the prime attractions in each place, our cultural diversity, culinary traditions of different regions and the routes and means for transport to reach various places”, the Minister said.
After the launch of Caravan Tourism, Kerala is also exploring the possibilities of more new products like heli-tourism and cruise tourism for holidayers. While promoting the new products, the state is also paying due attention to the proper maintenance of established destinations, especially their hygiene and quality of services, he said. Shri VK Prasanth MLA, who presided over the function, said the Chatbot service is an effective medium to tell tourists across the world about our destinations and products.
Tourism Director Shri VR Krishna Teja said it is the responsibility of tourism administration to ensure that tourists can easily access all information on a virtual platform regarding the place they are in or planning to visit. ‘Maya’ is the outcome of the timely intervention of the state Tourism Department to achieve this goal, he said.
Maya shares all information on destinations, experiences, stay, travel and a whole lot of details that will keep them updated about the places they travel through or stay, in any part of Kerala.
Maya also assists tourists to know about the experience-oriented locations, never-miss spots, historical places, ecotourism, arts and culture hubs, festivals, local food, visa information, Covid protocol, weather updates and provides links to the official Kerala Tourism social media pages.
To connect and start chatting with Maya, the users only need to send a ‘Hi’ on the WhatsApp platform. They can scroll through the menu and decide on which options to explore further.