Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Tourism has drawn attention on social media with an unusual digital campaign seeking a dedicated emoji representing the State's traditional sadya, the elaborate vegetarian feast traditionally served on a banana leaf.

The Tourism Department made the appeal through its official social media platform in response to a post by Apple CEO John Ternus, urging him to consider introducing an emoji representing Kerala's iconic sadya on the iPhone platform.

The campaign has already crossed 50,000 views, giving the initiative significant visibility beyond Kerala's conventional tourism audience. The move is being seen as part of a wider digital marketing effort to bring Kerala's cultural and culinary identity into global online conversations.

Sadya is one of Kerala's best-known culinary traditions and is closely associated with festivals, particularly Onam, as well as weddings and other important social and religious occasions. The traditional feast is served on a banana leaf and includes a wide variety of vegetarian dishes and desserts.

According to tourism officials, the initiative is not merely about the immediate possibility of Apple introducing a new emoji. Instead, the campaign is aimed at using high-visibility global conversations and social media platforms to promote Kerala's cultural identity before an international audience.

The department has increasingly experimented with real-time digital campaigns and topical social media engagement as part of its tourism promotion strategy. By linking Kerala's traditional cuisine with one of the world's most widely used forms of digital communication, the latest campaign has generated fresh interest in sadya as a cultural symbol of the State.