NEW DELHI: Kerala swept the publicity awards in the National Tourism Awards for the year 2014-15 with as many as three awards apart frpm an award to a foreign tourist for writing about the state.

The Tourism Departments of Kerala and Gujarat jointly shared the Tourism award Most Innovative use of Information Technology – Social Media / Mobile App.

Ms Stephanie Pearson of the United States received the award for feature on Kerala, “The Green Heaven”.

The Tourism Department of Kerala received two other awards: for the coffee table volume on“Kerala & The Spice Routes”, and their Brochure “The Great Backwaters (Das Faszinierendste Gewässer der Erde)” in German Language in the category of Excellence in Publishing in Foreign Language other than English.

The Best Tourism Film award went to Department of Tourism of Daman & Diu for the film “Ilha De Calma”.

The Department of Tourism of Telangana for their coffee Table Book “Ancient Temples of Telangana” in the category of Best Tourism Promotion Publicity Material by States and Union Territories.

The awards were given away over the weekend by Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan who said tourists are the Brand Ambassadors of their respective countries and Tourism is a mode of improving the image of their countries abroad.

All the persons involved in Tourism industry are the Flag Bearers of the country. The continuous strive for service excellence is all the more important as India’s Tourism Sector is on an upward growth track.

Tourism Minister Mahesh Sharma and Secretary Vinod Zutshi also spoke on the occasion.

In all, 74 Awards were presented in various segments of the travel, tourism and hospitality industry. Tourism Ministers of many States, Central and State Government Officials, Members from the Travel and Hospitality Industries, including leading Hoteliers, Travel Agents and Tour Operators and Travel Media attended the function.