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Travel for trade or professional reasons, though not strictly a tourist journey does involve the use of tourist goods and services and involves much expenditure in India and also in other countries. Journeys to fairs, trade exhibitions, technical seminars, conferences and conventions involve the participation of the delegates in tourist and social events. Almost all the international seminars are followed by sightseeing tours, entertainment programmes, visits to the prominent shopping malls and as such results in phenomenal expenditure on the part of the visiting tourist, which accrues to the income of the host countries.

These conferences and conventions provide opportunities for considerable publicity for a country and its tourism facilities and have now become a vanguard for regular tourist flow. In Kerala tourism has got a new thrust with the advent of the international convention centers. Scores of international convention centers with the most modern facilities now dot the prominent cities and towns.

Even in a city like Thrissur, the Lulu convention center is host to scores of local, national and international events. Many of the national seminars and other events held there resulted in more exposure to the places of tourist interest. It is interesting to note that this convention center offers everything under a single roof. When seminars and workshops are not being held, this convention center is let out to marriage parties and other events hosted by private parties at subsidized rates. Very recently the government has also stepped in and is now planning scores of convention centers in different parts of the state.

Very recently work has started on an international convention center in the state capital, Trivandrum and is located very near to the Trivandrum International Airport. The major infrastructure project coming up near Akkulam tourist village is likely to host scores of national and international seminars and will certainly offer a boost to tourism related activities.