Are you going to the Kerala Shopping Festival this year?

Ayurvedic treatments and spa solutions are passé. If you have a problem you would rather forget, head to Kerala for some retail therapy, guaranteed to shoo those blues away! That’s the idea behind the Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (GKSF), India’s own homegrown shopping fiesta to beat the big boys Dubai and Singapore at their own game. Envisioned to make Kerala the newest Asian shopping destination, it is planned for over a month around December and January, which is also the peak tourist season. What is so wonderful about the festival is the fact that you do not need to plan a trip especially around the shopping destination; the entire state is metamorphosed into one huge shopping mall, drawing tourists and shoppers eager to unload their wallets. Held from December 15 to January 30 each year, this is one shopping vacation you must plan in advance.

 

Lots of Shopping and Retail Therapy

The GKSF is a one of its kind event in India which intends to cash in on the tourism boost to the state in recent years and vice versa. Aimed specifically at national and international tourists to Kerala, God’s Own Country, the event is organised by the state tourism department. It brings together a host of goods and services and hundreds of brands for shoppers to choose from. On offer are electronics, garments, textiles, jewellery, cars and handicrafts from the state and beyond on sale through nearly 3000 outlets across the state. Several towns and cities also plan their own shopping fests and other commercial activity around this time. Shoppers are wooed with various offers, schemes, bumper prizes, discounts and even VAT refunds to encourage them to shop here.

 

GKSF Trade Fair

This is one of the largest trade fairs in the country organised during the shopping festival at the GKSF Global Village’s Lulu Convention Centre in Kochi. The sixth edition of the fair ended in January 2013 and offered a virtual shopping paradise. Set up in a systematic order, it had different pavilions for different products. The International Pavilion showcased handicrafts, products and arts from various countries; the National Pavilion had products from various states in the country; the Kerala Pavilion showcased handlooms, Ayurvedic products, handicrafts and other local products from Kerala. A special attraction was the massive food court and amusement park spread over an area of nearly 22,000 square feet.

A Bonanza for Tourists

The GKSF promises to be a multiple bonanza this time with hotels, restaurants, home stays, houseboat services, etc., all signing up to be a part of the Festival. The entire state works itself up in a state of frenzy in a bid to woo tourists and there are special offers everywhere you look, clearly one of the best times to visit this beautiful state, blessed with natural beauty, a fascinating culture and an exotic cuisine.

Hop on to the shopping bandwagon to make the most of the shopping season this year in Kerala. For the best deals on flight tickets and hotel bookings, log on to MakeMyTrip.com!