VR Krishna Teja, Director of Tourism, will handover charge of Managing Director of Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) to V Vigneshwari on December 20.
Krishna Teja’s two-year tenure as KTDC’s executive head was marked by a string of initiatives that saw the state-owned hospitality major making major strides, despite the pandemic-induced challenges.
Vigneswari, now Director of Collegiate Education, is a Kerala Cadre IAS officer of 2015 batch.
It was under Krishna Teja that KTDC introduced the country’s first quarantine package as a timely boost to the travel sector. During his tenure, KTDC achieved a profit of ₹2.70 crore, despite the pandemic-caused setback to tourism the world over.
Teja also diversified the portfolio of KTDC with the launch of several projects such as Ripple Land in Alappuzha, Loom Land in Kannur, Folk Land in Mangattuparamba and Flotilla, the floating restaurant at Veli, besides the Aahaar brand of restaurants that went on to gain a brand value after being set up in the motels at Alappuzha, Kayamkulam, Vadakara and various other locations.
In June this year, KTDC launched the innovative In-Car Dining, for serving travellers food inside their vehicles, allaying health risks of eating in public places when the pandemic was at its peak.