THIRUVANTHAPURAM, June 1 : Kerala witnessed a record increase in tourist visits in 2023, both domestic and international, rebounding strongly after the back-to-back deluges and the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the industry hard in the previous years.
Kerala received 2.25 crore tourist visits in 2023, which is much higher than the pre-COVID level. After a 72.77 per cent slump in tourist visits during the peak of the pandemic and the lockdown in 2020, tourist visits grew by 42.56 per cent, beating all odds in 2021.
Tourist visits more than doubled in 2022 compared to 2021, when the numbers surged by 152 per cent. Last year, they witnessed a healthy growth of 17.22 per cent. The state received 2,18,71,641 domestic tourist visits and 6,49,057 international tourist visits last year, demonstrating an extraordinary comeback after the challenges of the pandemic.
There has been a major upsurge in domestic tourist visits in the state, showing a high and steady increase since 2021. From 75,37,617 domestic tourist visits in 2021, the footfall in this segment rose sharply to1,88,67,414 in 2023. It is significant to note that this was even higher than the highest previous mark of 1,83,84,233 tourist visits registered in the pre-pandemic 2019.
An innovative marketing strategy, new products and initiatives and the strong public-private partnership in the state contribute to the tourism sector’s robust and continued growth. ( UNI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
