Grand Kerala Shopping Festival (often abbreviated as GKSF or in Malayalam: ഗ്രാന്‍ഡ് കേരള ഷോപ്പിംഗ് ഫെസ്റ്റിവല്‍) is an annual shopping event in Kerala. The festival is conducted by Tourism Department in co-ordination with the Industries & Commerce Department, Finance Department and Local Self Government Department.
Through this shopping festival, the Kerala Governmentintends to transform the State into a hub for international shopping experience and there by Launch "Shopping Tourism" in the state. In the process, the brand image of Kerala Tourism would go a long way to help upgrade the infrastructure of traditional marketing center in Kerala. The festival first started on 1 December 2007 to next year 15 January lasting for a period of 46 days with an aim to promote and develop commerce, trade and industrial sector of Kerala using the brand value of Kerala Tourism. The objective of the festival is to make the state an International shopping destination over a period of 5 years and create employment to develop traditional trade centers.
During this period stores and shops registered under the GKSF offer wide range of discounts, vat refunds etc. Along with the guaranteed shopping experience, shoppers are provided with gift coupons for a fixed worth of purchase entering them into weekly and mega lucky draws.
The festival is a strong step taken forward to regain the lost glory of Kerala in the map of international trade and commerce. The Government aims to utilize the growth in the tourism sector to develop the state as an international trade and tourism destination. As compared to shopping festivals being held in other countries, this Festival converts the entire state of Kerala into a giant shopping mall, incorporating not just the big players, but also the small and medium scale industries.
Over 3,000 outlets selling jewellery, electronic goods, textiles, consumer-durables, cars and autos, as well as hotels, restaurants and shopping malls across the state register for this several days long Shopping Festival. The aim of the festival is to make Kerala an international shopping destination in five years on lines of Dubai and Singapore and thereby attract tourists in large number to the state. Regional hubs of commercial activity are being planned in major cities and towns for the shopping festival.
The 6th season of GKSF (2012-2013) also featured a contemporary art fair. The exhibition-cum-sale featuring more than 300 works by over 200 artists was a first-of-its-kind attempt to address the lack of marketing opportunities for Kerala artists. The fair was inaugurated at Kanakakkunnu Palace in Thiruvananthapuram by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy with the sale of two paintings.
കേരളത്തിന്റെ വാർഷിക വ്യാപാരമേളയാണ് ഗ്രാൻഡ് കേരള ഷോപ്പിങ് ഫെസ്റ്റിവൽ. കേരളത്തിന്റെ വ്യവസായ-വാണിജ്യ-വിനോദസഞ്ചാര മേഖലകളിൽ ശ്രദ്ധേയമാം വിധം മുന്നേറ്റം സൃഷ്ടിക്കുക എന്ന ലക്ഷ്യത്താൽ സംസ്ഥാനസർക്കാർ സംഘടിപ്പിക്കുന്ന പരിപാടിയാണിത്. 2007 മുതലാണ് ഈ ആഘോഷത്തിനു തുടക്കം കുറിച്ചത്. ടൂറിസം വകുപ്പും ഇൻഡസ്ട്രീസ് ആന്റ് കൊമേഴ്സ് ഡിപ്പാർട്ട്മെന്റും ധനകാര്യവകുപ്പും തദ്ദേശസ്വയം ഭരണസ്ഥാപനങ്ങളും സംയോജിച്ചാണ് പരിപാടികൾ സംഘടിപ്പിക്കുന്നത്. എല്ലാ വർഷവും ഡിസംബർ 1 മുതൽ ജനുവരി 15 വരെയാണ് ഫെസ്റ്റിവൽ സംഘടിപ്പിക്കുന്നത്
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