International

Supermodel Campbell holidaying in Kerala?

Supermodel Campbell holidaying in Kerala?

January 21, 2012 | 12:00 AM

By Ashraf Padanna/Thiruvananthapuram

British supermodel Naomi Campbell is taking an ayurveda wellness treatment in the famed Kerala beach town of Kovalam though her London-based PR agony denies it. A senior police officer also confirmed her presence here.According to reports, Campbell is staying at the Leela Kempinski Kovalam hotel since the past one week. Though she checked in under a different name and the hotel management has been keeping it a closely guarded secret, records with the local police station say the 5.9ft model is indeed staying there.“She is very much in Kovalam, discreetly stirring out to take in the sights and shopping. Police records, in specific, prove her presence in the tourism centre beyond any shadow of doubt,” the Deccan Chronicle daily reported.The newspaper first carried an exclusive on her visit to Kovalam on January 19, but her PR agent quickly requested the daily to drop the item from its portal saying the supermodel was in Britain on January 18. “Ms Campbell is in London at the moment, so this story is not true. Please can you remove immediately?” the newspaper quoted Sarah Bedford, Campbell’s PR agent, as saying in an e-mail communication.However, the mandatory C-form to be filed in the local police station about foreign guests gives the details of the VIP. The name is given exactly as Naomi Campbell and the purpose of visit is stated as “ayurveda treatment.” She arrived on January 18 and she has a booking there until January 26.“Our interest in the supermodel has been limited to the fact that her visit proves yet again the abiding allure of the beach destination to foreign travellers, whether they be celebrities or not,” said John Mary, resident editor of the daily newspaper. “No amount of state-sponsored publicity would fetch the destination as much as it gets from frequent celebrity endorsements such as this.” Kerala remains one of the most favoured Indian holiday destinations for the British tourists and it is expected to remain so. They constituted one-fourths of the international tourist arrivals last year, followed by France, Germany and the US.

January 21, 2012 | 12:00 AM