Department of Tourism, Kerala and Ola have come together to promote responsible tourism and offbeat travel

Ola’s campaign #GhoomoResponsibly encourages travelers to be responsible tourists, take the road less travelled, and explore hidden gems with convenient inter-city cabs across India

• Also flags off a 14-day road trip with famous actress and vlogger, Shenaz Treasury across some unique locations in Kerala and 6 other states in India
• Shenaz explores Kerala’s breathtaking beaches and backwaters, history and culture

Thiruvananthapuram, 25th September, 2017: In line with UN’s theme for this year’s World Tourism Day, Ola, India’s most popular mobile app for transportation, and Department of Tourism, Kerala have come together to promote and raise awareness about responsible tourism. Other than Kerala Tourism, Ola is also working with other key Tourism Corporations of some of the biggest states of the country like Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Gujarat and Assam.

Ola has rolled out an exciting 14-day long campaign, which will see famous actress and vlogger Shenaz Treasury travel to 7 states, re-discovering 21 different lesser-known locations, with Ola Outstation – Ola’s smart mobility solution for inter-city travel. The campaign that was flagged off from Bengaluru, Karnataka on 16th September, has now entered its fifth leg with Shenaz arriving in Kerala state on 23rd September. In Kerala, Shenaz will travel to Fort Kochi, Kodungallur (Muziris), and Kumarakom, before heading to Maharashtra.

Kerala is blessed with diverse beauty like beaches, hills, and lush coffee plantations; making it most suited for road trips across the state. With the aim of promoting the theme of this year’s World Tourism Day (27th September), Ola and Department of Tourism, Kerala have come together to encourage people to plan road trips and unravel many lesser-known locations in the state that are now easily accessible due to a smart solution like Ola Outstation.

Jafar Malik, Additional Director, Department of Tourism said, “With its beaches, backwaters and tropical greenery, Kerala is  one of the most prominent tourist destinations in India. With people coming to the state throughout the year, from all across the globe, it is important that they have convenient and comfortable way of commuting from one city to another. It is great to see that corporates like Ola are building commuting solutions that are helping the citizens as well as the tourists. We applaud Ola for this latest campaign and are confident that its success will boost the tourism landscape of the state further.”

Vijay Ghadge, VP of Operations at Ola said, “Kerala sees a high influx of tourists almost throughout the year and being home to some of the most popular hill stations and coffee plantations of the country, having commuting solutions for hassle free inter-city commute is extremely necessary. With a solution like Ola Outstation, we are aiming to make outstation travel as convenient and reliable as daily commute; without having to worry about driving themselves or hassle of looking for conventional taxi-tour operators. Moreover, Ola Outstation is available with Ola Play, taking the in-cab experience many notches higher.” He further added, “We are thrilled  to have been recognized by Department of Tourism, Kerala for our efforts and are delighted to be chosen to play a significant role in building the tourism ecosystem of the state through our solutions like Ola Outstation and Rentals.”

Shenaz Treasury, actress and travel vlogger said, “I have travelled across several countries and continents, but India holds a special place in my heart, every single state has something unique to offer. Being a passionate traveller, I strongly feel that the preservation of our natural and cultural heritage across the country is facing a grave threat. There is now a need more than ever for us to travel consciously, respectfully, and responsibly. From avoiding littering to encouraging local economy, there is a lot each one of us can do that will go a long way in keeping the country’s cultural legacy intact. I am thrilled to partner with Ola, be the flag-bearer of this message, and embark on what I am certain, will be an exciting journey of exploring Kerala’s palm-lined beaches and backwaters by road with Ola Outstation. Shenaz further adds, “I encourage people to take the road less travelled, explore the abundant offbeat locations. Take road trips, soak in some breathtaking experiences, and enjoy the scenic landscapes that our country has to offer.”

A large number of these tourists visit popular destinations such as Munnar, Alleppey, Thekkady, Trivandrum, etc. Kerala boasts of several such destinations that are left unexplored due to accessibility issues and lack of awareness. With this campaign, Ola and Department of Tourism, Kerala hope to bring these places to light.

About Ola:

Founded in Jan 2011 by IIT Bombay alumni Bhavish Aggarwal and Ankit Bhati, Ola (formerly Olacabs), is India’s most popular mobile app for personal transportation. Ola integrates city transportation for customers and driver partners onto a mobile technology platform ensuring convenient, transparent and quick service fulfillment. Ola is committed to its mission of building mobility for a billion people. Using the Ola mobile app, users across 110 cities can book from over 700,000 vehicles across cabs, auto-rickshaws and taxis. Ola has also introduced a range of shared mobility services on its platform like Ola Shuttle and Ola Share for commute and ride-sharing respectively. The app is available on Windows, Android and iOS platforms. Please visit www.olacabs.com/media for more information.

For additional details, please contact:

Tinu Cherian | media@olacabs.com | +91 9108046555