Kerala witnessed a record increase in tourist visits in 2023, both domestic and international, rebounding strongly after the COVID-19 pandemic that hit the industry hard in the previous years.
The State received 2.25 crore tourist visits in 2023, much higher than the pre-COVID-19 level. The State received 2,18,71,641 domestic tourist visits and 6,49,057 international tourist visits last year, demonstrating a strong 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 to 1,88,67,414 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, said the tourism department in a release here on Saturday.
After a 72.77 percent slump in tourist visits during the peak of the pandemic and the…
