Kerala Tourism reached a milestone this week when the number of its followers on Facebook hit the 10 lakh (one million) mark.

Kerala Tourism is the first tourism board in the country to post this achievement. It is well ahead of global boards such as Singapore Tourism (8 lakh followers), Thailand Tourism (6 lakh), and Paris Tourism (3.2 lakh).

Launched in 2010, Kerala Tourism’s Facebook page gives information on the latest events and news in the State in areas ranging from art to culture. “We are deeply heartened by this achievement,” said Tourism Minister A.P. Anilkumar on Monday. “We have been in the forefront of embracing social media to reach out to the people.”

“We owe our success to fans of Kerala all over the world. It is a top priority for us to be in constant touch with people globally and help them understand the State better,” Tourism Secretary Suman Billa, said on the achievement.

Kerala Tourism also has dedicated Facebook pages in French and Deutsch as French and German nationals have proven pivotal for it over the years. In addition, there are two Facebook pages for promoting awareness of Ayurveda.

The fan base of one million was achieved through campaigns to inform travellers about the destinations and the various facets of life in ‘God’s Own Country’.