Fort Kochi bags PATA heritage award
By James Paul | 11 Mar 2002
Kochi:
Fort Kochi, the heritage destination near Keralas commercial
capital, has bagged the prestigious Pacific Asia Travel
Association (PATA) Gold Award for Heritage for the year
2002, outdoing 46 other renowned destinations from across
the world.
The award recognises exceptional achievements in a variety of
endeavours and bring acclaim to the best that the regions
travel industry has to offer, according to the department of
tourism.
The award will be presented during the five-day 51st PATA annual
conference that will be held in New Delhi from April 15. The
largest-ever international tourism conclave to be held in the
country, the PATA conference is the first world event that will be
held after the 11 September US events.
The old-world charm and the way in which Fort Kochi is
maintained substantiate the undisputed calibre of Kerala, which is
the
only state to represent India at the awards, a department
communiqu said. Kochi houses several important monuments.
But, the old-world charm is best retained in Fort Kochi and
Mattanchery.
Tourism director Alkesh Kumar Sharma says his department has
evolved several initiatives to preserve and conserve the heritage
of Kochi with a special attention to this area. Fort Kochi has
already been identified for preservation and promotion as Keralas
Heritage City. Efforts are also being taken to retain the same
old-world charm, which had attracted foreigners since several
centuries, for todays tourists.
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