This morning on NPR, I heard a story about how Kerala, a state in India, is promoting "monsoon tourism". They're using marketing to try and increase travel to Kerala during the off-season (summer and fall). For example, look at the text on this tourism web site:

" Monsoon the word itself makes one happy. The intoxicating smell of the dry Earth getting drenched, the splashing waters and the tiny paper boats sailing on the clogged water make monsoons the favourite season in India."

With the severe drought across parts of the U.S., perhaps the idea of monsoon tourism isn't as silly as it first seems. I know that the lure of rain helped bring me across the country from California to Tennessee.

When I went to visit Sewanee my senior year of high school, California was in its seventh year of drought. I was amazed by how lush and green Tennessee was, and when it rained that weekend I thought it was wonderful. Now, I didn't choose to go to Sewanee just because of the weather (a generous scholarship influenced me more) but the rain was one of many things that made a positive impression. I left looking forward to returning.

Labels: marketing, weather