Gesture-Controlled Website for Kerala Tourism

TechnoparkToday.com>>  Aug 17, 2013:   People from around the globe browsing the internet for a peep into Kerala’s pristine destinations may not need a mouse, track pad or keyboard henceforth to navigate through the pages – mere gestures would be enough.

In yet another first, the Kerala Tourism has launched a new website (http://when-it-rains.com) with gesture-controlled features to help its users. The website, the first by a state tourism board in the country, introduces a user to the rain-washed plains, misty hills and the majestic backwaters of Kerala through a gesture-based interface.

Launched as a part of the monsoon campaign by Kerala Tourism, the new website is one of the few tourism websites in the world to use the gesture-controlled technology. Visually stunning images of the monsoon shot by Facebook fans of Kerala Tourism are used in the new website, developed by Stark Communications, the official marketing and communications agency of the Kerala Tourism Department.

The website tracks movements and gestures made by a user in front of a webcam and responds to them, giving a user-friendly experience to those browsing it.

We are proud to present an innovative new website to people around the world who can now sit in front of a computer or with a smart phone and enjoy the multifarious experiences of the monsoon in Kerala even before they arrive in the state, said Kerala Tourism Secretary Shri Suman Billa.

The new technology available today like the gesture-controlled feature on our new website plays an important role in linking destinations with the people, Shri Billa added.

Kerala Tourism Director Shri Hari Kishore described the gesture-controlled website as yet another step in extending to the world the many experiences that Kerala can offer to a visitor. Interestingly, the new website is a combination of innovative technology and the fascinating experiences of the fans of Kerala around the world, Shri Kishore said.

The social media was quick to embrace the Kerala Tourism’s new gesture-controlled website. Since its launch on 28^th May 2013, the new website has already received over 100,000 visits. The post on Facebook about the website has been seen by about 800,000 people so far and has got 13,000 likes besides 300 tweets about the website.

The Kerala Tourism is a pioneer in integrating technology in promoting destinations both in India and abroad. The department’s award-winning website (www.keralatourism.org) is one of the most-visited tourism websites in the world. Recently, Kerala Tourism had organized a live webcast of a Theyyam performance from a temple on its website for a global audience.