U. V. Jose IAS has joined as the New Director of Kerala Tourism. He also holds the additional charge of the Director of Department of Social Justice, Kerala. Prior to this, he was serving as District Collector of Kottayam. He has also served as the Director of Kerala Institute of Tourism & Travel Studies, Director of Grand Kerala Shopping Festival and Director of Kerala State Urban Development project.
Jose is a Civil Engineer with an MBA and a Masters Degree in Regional Planning from the School of Planning and Architecture, New Delhi and has done the Executive Development Institute in Tourism (EDIT) course at the University of Hawaii, USA. Jose has over 15 years of experience in tourism planning and development and has led the Planning and Development Division of the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala for about 10 years as Planning officer and Additional Director (Planning and Projects). Through innovative development strategies, he has contributed significantly in positioning Kerala as a leading tourist destination in the country.