Growth of tourism sector satisfactory:Minister

Despite certain issues like bird flu that caused a set back to tourism, overall growth of the sector in Kerala during last year was satisfactory, State Tourism Minister A P Anilkumar said today.
Giving details of the various campaigns to promote tourism as part of its new initiatives 'Visit Kerala 2015' here, he said there was 'remarkable' increase in the arrival of domestic and international tourists during the last three months of 2014 calender year.
Though bird flu created certain problems in the sector in last quarter of the year, government succeeded in reversing the downward trend, Anilkumar told reporters.

The new campaign would be for one year from April 1 this year, he said.
In view of the tough competition for Ayurveda tourism from Sri Lanka, Kerala tourism would refocus Ayurveda in its tourism map once again vigourisly, he said. 'This will be one of the main focuses during the period', he added.
Special packages for tourists to visit during the period in co-operation with Air line companies have been worked out, he said. Already talks with Jet Airways and Go Air were held, he said.
On the infrastructure front, he said total room available in the state had increased from 40,000 to 70,000 in the last five years.