Representative photo.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM (KERALA): Recording the highest growth rate in domestic and total tourist arrivals in 24 years, Kerala attracted around 1.96 crore domestic and foreign visitors in 2019, official data showed.

With this development, Kerala has registered a growth of 17.2 per cent as compared to the figures in the previous year.

"We have bounced back with great vigour after suffering unprecedented floods and torrential rains for two consecutive years in 2018 and 2019. This is the highest growth rate since 1996. Our figures show that there was a very significant increase in the footfalls from May 2019 and it prevailed till the end of the year," tourism minister Kadakampally Surendran said.

"We are optimistic about sustaining the growth momentum this year also but it will depend on how quickly the world finds a solution to the problem of coronavirus outbreak," he added.

The growth rate in the inflow of domestic tourists was 17.81 per cent while for the foreign tourist arrivals, it was 8.52 per cent.

"The total earnings from tourism stood at Rs 45,010.69 crore, notching a robust 24.14 per cent increase," read an official statement.

Rani George, secretary, tourism, said the huge growth in tourist arrivals "in the face of most adverse circumstances" was achieved by an "aggressive, multi-pronged strategy" to woo back the visitors.

"We allayed the apprehensions of visitors by holding roadshows in our traditional and emerging markets. The upsurge in tourist arrivals is a testament to the resilience and vibrancy of the tourism sector of the state," she added.

