THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Tourism ’s efforts to present pristine destinations in the state before the global audience have bagged it the Most Outstanding Marketing Campaign Award for 2014.

The state tourism department received the honour at the Travel and Hospitality Awards held on Monday in New Delhi. Instituted by the Travel and Hospitality magazine, the award was given away by three-time MP and former cricketer Kirti Azad. Tourism minister A P Anilkumar said the award would help elevate Kerala’s status in the tourism market.

Kerala Tourism has followed unique marketing strategies like the branding activities on Mumbai Metro Rail and theme branding of hop-on, hop-off boats and water taxis in Kochi, he said. “We also launched the Great Backwaters Campaign last year and won the ITB-Berlin Golden City Gate Gold award, which is known as the Oscar of tourism communication,” he added.

Tourism director P I Sheik Pareeth described the award as an “acknowledgement of efforts in promoting the state’s destinations worldwide”. Tourism deputy director Rajkumar received the award at the ceremony attended by BJP leader L K Advani and Union tourism minister Mahesh Sharma, among others.