MUMBAI, Aug 28: The Kerala government on Wednesday said the state is expecting to host 2.2 crore domestic and 8 lakh international travellers this financial year.
The state will focus on Heli tourism, Caravan tourism, Cruise tourism and Biodiversity Circuit, Malabar Literary circuit and Medi Tourism, among others, Kerala Tourism Secretary Biju K told PTI.
Last year, Kerala witnessed a record surge in the number of domestic tourists with as many as 2.1 crore people visiting the state, while the number of international travellers was 6.49 lakh, according to Kerala Tourism Board data.
“We are actually expecting around 2.2 crore domestic visitors this year and around 8 lakh foreign tourists this year (FY25). As regards domestic visitors, we have already crossed the pre-pandemic level. When it comes to foreign tourists…We are expecting to cross the 2019 level by 2026,” Biju said.
In the pre-pandemic year of 2019, the state registered the highest growth rate in domestic and total tourist footfall in 24 years. There were 1.95 crore tourists, including 11.89 lakh overseas visitors.
“The focus will no longer be confined to beaches, backwaters and hill stations. We are making a calibrated move to bolster Kerala’s reputation as an all-weather hospitable destination,” Kerala Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas said.
Biju said, “This financial year, the state government has allocated Rs 351 crore for the tourism sector, of which Rs 138 crore is for infrastructure development.”
“The state is running a campaign called ‘Malinya Muktam Nava Keralam’ – a campaign in Kerala that aims to improve waste management,” he added.
When asked if there is likely to be any impact on tourism due to the Wayanad landslide, Biju said there is a slight impact as there have been cancellations.
“It has actually impacted on bookings that we had. There have been cancellations. However, we have geared up with campaigns on Wayanad, especially for people to come back and then enjoy. So we don’t expect any huge impact on tourism as we are addressing the issue,” he added.
Biju said that Kerala witnesses footfalls from neighbouring states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra.
“However, the potential visitors are actually from Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh and West Bengal. We are planning to focus on these states going forward,” he noted.
Kerala is also working on making the state a safe destination for solo women travellers and for this, the government is planning to conduct a safety audit for around 81 destinations in the state, he said. (PTI)
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