Kerala attracts 3.8 million domestic tourists in Q-1 2022, registers 72.48 per cent growth
Thiruvananthapuram, May 25 (Representative) Kerala attracted 3.8 million domestic visitors in the first quarter of this calendar year, registering a robust growth of 72.48 per cent as compared with 2.2 million footfalls during the corresponding period in 2021, Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas said on Wednesday. During the first quarter of 2022, Ernakulam district registered the highest number of 811,426 domestic tourists, followed by Thiruvananthapuram (600,933), Idukki (511,947), Thrissur (358,052), and Wayanad (310,322), the Minister told a press conference. This shows a significant increase of 16 lakh tourísts in the first three months of the current ycar. This healthy uptick in the number of tourists from within the country indicates that domestic sector of Kerala Tourism has recovered from the impact of the pandemic.
As for arrival foreign tourist, the number increased from 14,489 in the first quarter of 2021 to 43,547 during the same period in the current year, notching a significant increase of 200.55 per cent. Thus, there was an increase of about 29,000 foreign tourist arrivals in Kerala during the three-month period. The foreign tourists mainly focused on Ernakulam and Thiruvananthapuram districts. The starting of the calendar year 2022 indicates a huge success for the state’s tourism activities. This positive growth is a result of a 360 degree marketing campaign conducted by the Kerala Tourism duríng October-December 2021.
The campaign, which meticulously used all avaílable media to connect the tourists, projected the state as a safe destination of diverse experiences for domestic as well as foreign tourists. Kerala also made a mark in Travel and Tourism Fair in Ahmedabad highlighting the central theme “A Change of Air.” As part of direct messaging various media such as FM radio, television, OTT platforms, big screen, print media, music apps and digital portals have been leveraged. Social media platforms are also being used effectively to present before the world the state as an experiential tourism hub. The new tourism products and events like caravan tourism, adventure tourism and the second edition of Champions Boat League (CBL) later this year will certainly give a fillip to this momentum.
After the pandemic enforced hiatus of two ycars, Kerala Tourism also organized the first business-to-business meets in European cities of Madrid and Milan, besides Muscat and Manama in the Middle East. “This outrcach has enhanced our confidence that we will be able to attract visitors in large numbers from Europe and Middle East in the months ahead. The Tourism Department has also launched a WhatsApp chatbot ‘Maya’, which is a virtual tour guide, he said.