Chennai: Tamil Nadu has carved a unique position in emerging as number one State in attracting domestic and foreign tourists. However, back home, its own people prefer neighbouring Kerala as an ideal tourist destination.
“Kerala is one of the most popular tourist destinations in India and our State has been attracting a large number of tourists from Tamil Nadu. During 2017 Kerala has received about 12.75 lakh visitors from Tamil Nadu and this is 17.41 per cent increase over the previous year,” says Anil, Deputy Director, Kerala Tourism.
Kerala, he said has already registered a remarkable increase in international and domestic tourist arrivals during 2016. While international tourist arrivals to Kerala during the year 2016 was 10,38,419 - an increase of 6.25% over the previous year's, the domestic tourist arrival was 1,31,72,535 and marked a 5.67% increase. The total revenue has also seen a whopping increase of 11.12% over the last year's figure.
Recently, the Kerala tourism held a meeting with over 300 stakeholders in Chennai as part of a B2B initiative to rev up its tourists arrivals and showcase its unique destinations. It has been proposed to hold a major B2B event, the Kerala Travel Mart later this year.
KTM, India’s first Travel & Tourism mart that has over the years helped showcase Kerala to the world, brings the business fraternity and the entrepreneurs behind Kerala’s unparalleled tourism products and services, on a single platform to network and develop business.
The 10th edition of this 4 day event begins on September 27, which is also celebrated as International Tourism Day. For art aficionados, the state endorses the dreamy lanes of Fort Kochi and a pilgrimage to the Kochi Muziris Biennale, which has changed the landscape of contemporary Indian art today and has helped make Kochi the art capital of India.
