Kerala Tourism

As a massive search operation is underway at Mundakkai region in landslide-hit Wayanad with a team of over 3,000 rescue workers, the authorities and locals are still grappling to determine the exact number of people missing. According to the state government, the toll has gone up to 173 while an estimated number of 191 people are missing, though official sources indicate that the actual number may be much higher. The rescue operators are contending with adverse conditions, including muddy soil and rain, as they search through destroyed homes and buildings. State Revenue Minister K Rajan, who is in the disaster-struck region, coordinating the rescue efforts, told the media that the authorities are yet to finalise the number of missing people. "Initially, we used the voter list to identify the missing persons. But since it does not contain the details of the children, we are now relying on ration cards and other details. We are trying to identify the missing people by checking the ..

Highlighting the menace posed by online financial frauds, Kerala Police has said that last year alone it resulted in a total loss of around Rs 201 crore to 23,753 people in the state. Police said that its Cyber Wing was able to recover 20 per cent of this amount and also blocked 5,107 bank accounts, 3,289 mobile numbers, 239 social media accounts and 945 websites that were used to commit the frauds. In a release issued by the State Police Media Centre, the police urged people to report online financial frauds within two hours of the incident to 1930 number. This would increase the chances of recovering the amount lost by the victim of the fraud, it said. "Delay in making complaints is a major problem faced by Kerala Police. If the information is reported to the cyber helpline number 1930 within two hours of the loss of money, the chances of recovering the money are very high. "But often the police receive complaints after 10 days of depositing the money. This gives the fraudsters .

Despite the Nipah scare in the northern district of Kozhikode, tourism activities across Kerala have been continuing normally and safely, state Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas said on Sunday. All events including the Champions Boat League (CBL) are taking place as per schedule, marking the commencement of the high inbound season, the minister said. "The situation is well under control in a few pockets of Kozhikode district from where some cases of Nipah virus infection were reported, thanks to coordinated and foolproof containment measures taken on a war footing," the minister said in a press release. He said the tourism department officials are in close touch with the travel and hospitality industry and service providers and that the feedback received is that all tourism activities are on track as planned. Riyas added that Kerala has always remained a safe destination for tourists due to the state's strong health sector infrastructure and history of effective interventions duri

To contain the outbreak, the government has declared seven village panchayats in Kozhikode district as containment zones

An outbreak of African swine flu has been reported in Kanichar village in this north Kerala district, following which the district Collector ordered culling of pigs in two farms there. The district animal husbandry official confirmed the flu at a private farm located at Malayampadi on Friday. Subsequently, the district authorities ordered culling of the pigs there and in another nearby farm located in a 10km radius, and bury the carcasses as per protocols. An area of one km around the pig farm, where the infection had been detected, was declared as an infected area and a radius of 10km as a disease surveillance zone, official sources said. Distribution and sale of pork in the area and its transportation to other places have been banned for three months, they said. The Collector, the chairman of the district disaster management authority, also asked the local authorities to submit an urgent report to confirm whether the pigs from the affected farm were transported to other farms in

On June 7, the first group of pilgrims from Kerala will begin their hajj journey. The destination of the flights is Jeddah

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan took it to twitter and said it was recognition of the approach towards community tourism

Israel has expressed willingness to consider cooperation with Kerala in the sectors of agriculture and tourism. Consul General of Israel to South India, Tammy Ben Haim informed Chief Minister Pinarayi that they would favourably consider the possibilities of cooperation. The meeting was held at the chief minister's office here on Tuesday, an official statement said. Haim assured that she would discuss with the Ministry of Tourism in Israel to see how the cooperation in the tourism sector can be taken forward. The Consul General also assured to continue the official level talks in connection with the signing of MoU with Israel companies for the development of the value-added farm products. The CM welcomed the Consul General's assurance of cooperation, it said. During the meeting, Vijayan also recalled the long-standing relationship with Israel and mentioned the Synagogue in Kochi, a symbol of early Jewish settlement in the southern state, the statement added. In a tweet, Haim sai

Kerala Tourism will make all efforts to market Onam celebrations as a tourism product globally by formulating innovative campaigns, Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas said on Thursday. He was speaking after inaugurating a function held here for distribution of prizes of various contests relating to the cultural pageantry and global Onam 'pookalam' conducted by the Tourism Department as part of the week-long Onam celebrations organised by the Kerala Government. "A symbol of resilience, hope and equality, Onam has become a significant product that can attract domestic and foreign tourists. With the formation of tourism clubs in some foreign cities including London, the Tourism department has already initiated efforts to market the next year's Onam globally. By prominently projecting the unique features of various destinations, we will be able to ensure greater flow of tourists to the state from across the world during the Onam season," the Minister said. Presiding over the function,

Kerala's cash-strapped state-run transport corporation, which is looking for diversified means for its survival, has now come out with a budget-friendly pilgrim tour package focussing on the epic Mahabharatha to woo common passengers and tourists. The new package, announced by the budget tourism cell of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC), offers travel buffs and pilgrims a cost-effective opportunity to visit the famed Pancha Pandava Temples in the southern state and also to take part in the famous 'Valla Sadhya', the ritualistic feast being served at the Parthasarathy Temple in Aranmula. The pilgrim tour is organised in collaboration with various devaswoms (temple managements) and Palliyoda Seva Samithis, outfits which manage the boats and rituals in connection with the Vallasadya, under the tagline "A Pilgrimage through the History of Mahabharatha." The KSRTC management on Wednesday announced the package and invited interested persons to pre-book their travel from

Kerala is expecting to attract tourists in large numbers by reinventing itself as a preferred destination for travellers, an official of Kerala Tourism said on Thursday.

Kerala Tourism has been bestowed the coveted 'Highly Commended' Award by World Travel Mart London, as a recognition for its remarkable activities aimed at promoting Responsible Tourism amid pandemic

In a chat with Anjuli Bhargava, Jose Dominic says his hotel group hacked salaries right up to the MD level, but didn't terminate a single permanent staffer on its rolls on account of the pandemic

Total earnings from tourism stood at Rs 45,010.69 crore, a 24.14% increase from 2018

Tourism Department said the exact number of cancellations was not yet available

Book review of Flood and Fury: Ecological Devastation In the Western Ghats

Kerala's tourism revenues touched Rs 35,528 crore last year despite crippling floods and the Nipah outbreak

Travel across the state and it's only in the interiors that you find evidence of the floods

International tourist arrivals stood at 10.38 lakh and domestic tourists at 1.32 crore during 2016

Kerala Tourism looks to brand the state as the ayurveda and adventure destination of the world