Kerala Tourism plays it smart: Steffi Graf is Ayurveda’s brand ambassador

God’s Own Country could not have got a more charismatic poster girl. There is no visible connection between Kerala and tennis, but the state’s tourism department has zeroed in on Steffi Graf, one of the greatest tennis players of all time, as the Ayurveda brand ambassador of the state.

The department was given sanction to sign an agreement with Ms Graf as Ayurveda brand ambassador as part of the state tourism department’s ‘Visit Kerala Scheme’. It had been in talks with the former World number one tennis player for quite some time.

With the new deal in place, the government feels that Kerala’s tourism sector can overcome the after-effects of the recent ban on liquor. Its tourism sector has been badly affected due to government’s restrictions on sale of liquor.

Last year, the government in Kerala had banned the sales of liquor in the state, saying it wanted to prevent youngsters from destroying their lives by drinking too much. However, in April 2015, it allowed only 24 five-star hotels in Kerala to serve Indian-made foreign liquor (IMFL).

Kerala’s Ayurveda, an ancient system of health care, works as a holistic medicine to treat mind and the body. A large number of people from all over the world visit Kerala to experience healing and wellness induced by Ayurveda.

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