The picturesque coastal town of Varkala near here is all set to host India’s first Travel Literary Festival ‘Yaanam 2025’ from October 17 to 19. Organised by Kerala Tourism, the festival brings together leading travel writers, vloggers and social media influencers from around the world, setting the stage for engaging conversations, besides sharing insights and perspectives on sustainable and inclusive tourism to meet the demands of the present-day travellers.
Tourism Minister Shri P A Mohamed Riyas will inaugurate the festival at Ranga Kala Kendram at the Cliff, Varkala, at 3 pm. The speakers at the inaugural session will include Shri V Joy MLA; Varkala Municipal Chairperson, Shri KM Laji; Kerala Tourism Secretary Shri Biju K; Director Smt Sikha Surendran, vlogger and actor Anumol and the festival curator Shri Sabin Iqbal.
The festival is conceived as an interactive platform for a diverse array of voices, including writers, artists, documentary filmmakers, vloggers, travel enthusiasts, and master chefs, both from India and abroad. The festival’s sessions are designed to facilitate engaging discussions, enabling eminent personalities from diverse fields to share their creative journeys, experiences, and insights on literature and travel.
The inaugural session will be followed by an interaction, titled ‘In Search of Stories and Characters’, where Booker Prize winner Shehan Karunatilaka, writer KR Meera and journalist Pallavi Aiyar will share their travel experiences with Sabin Iqbal.
Highlighting the lit fest as a pioneering event, Shri Biju said ‘Varkala sets the perfect ambience for writers, artists and documentary filmmakers to meet and share their travel experience.
“Kerala Tourism isn’t just hosting ‘Yaanam’; it’s setting the standard. By bringing together world voices, Kerala Tourism turns destination management into cultural stewardship, showing that Kerala leads India in imaginative, innovative and responsible tourism,” he added.
Smt Sikha Surendran said ‘Yaanam 2025’ celebrates the Experience of Kerala as a unique place that attracted explorers, scholars and merchants from around the world over centuries.
The event also opens a window to the multiple experiences that Kerala offers to travellers, writers and artists as a destination that transcends the conventional definition of a tourist haven. ‘Yaanam’ has an impressive line-up of around 50 renowned speakers from India and abroad, who will narrate their perspectives and experiences.
In addition to insightful discussions, ‘Yaanam’ will host educational workshops on writing, photography, and wellness, catering to both amateurs and professionals looking to enhance their skills. The event follows the successful staging of Kerala Tourism’s earlier conferences aimed at promoting tourism, such as the Wedding and MICE Tourism Conclave and the Responsible Tourism Conclave.
