By Arun Kumar
Washington, Jan 16 (IANS): The vibrant cultural experience of the Indian state of Kerala captured the imagination of corporate leaders attending a 'Kerala Evening' in Silicon Valley, which is home to the world's top technology companies.
Kathakali and Kalaripayattu performers enthralled a packed venue of the event organized by Kerala Tourism in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry(CII) and US-India Business Council on Thursday in Palo Alto, California.
"It is a significant day in the history of our state's tourism sector," said Kerala Tourism Minister A.P. Anilkumar.
"The United States is a key market for Kerala Tourism. In-bound tourism from America to Kerala has grown about 40 percent in the past two years," he said.
"Our first-ever corporate meet in the Silicon Valley is a crucial step to further increase those numbers."
The executives of over 50 companies in Silicon Valley attended the corporate meet addressed by Kerala Tourism Principal Secretary G. Kamala Vardhana Rao.
Tourist arrivals from the US have registered a 39.24 percent growth during 2012-14. In 2014, the number of American tourists who visited Kerala was 76,616 compared to 55,741 in 2011, according to a media release.
Kerala Tourism event was intended to introduce Kerala as a tourist destination and also to portray the state as an investor-friendly destination to the companies in the Silicon Valley.
On behalf of Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC), Rao also presented the various investment opportunities available in the state.
Rao invited the technology community in California to come visit the state as well as invest in Kerala's progress.
"Kerala is growing as a destination for corporate leaders and executives around the world because of its beautiful as well as peaceful locations to talk and do business. There is no better place than Kerala for the Silicon Valley executives to come and relax and even work," Rao said.
"With a large concentration of highly qualified software professionals and entrepreneurs, Kerala is an ideal destination for investment by the Silicon Valley companies," he added.