India News | Substantial Increase of Tourists to Kerala in 2024; K-Homes Project Will Attract More: Minister
Get latest articles and stories on India at LatestLY. Kerala Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas on Wednesday claimed in the Assembly that there was a substantial increase of tourists to the state last year and the numbers were expected to increase with the implementation of the K-Homes project.
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 12 (PTI) Kerala Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas on Wednesday claimed in the Assembly that there was a substantial increase of tourists to the state last year and the numbers were expected to increase with the implementation of the K-Homes project.
Riyas, during the question hour, told the House that the state attracted over 2.22 crore tourists in 2024, an increase of 21 per cent from the pre-pandemic period.
He said that with the implementation of the K-Homes project, announced in the 2025-26 state budget for increasing accommodation for tourists by making use of unoccupied homes near major destinations, the surge in tourists will increase even more.
He said that the new initiative offers a comfortable stay and a hands-on feel of local culture and cuisine to tourists and was expected to strengthen Kerala's hospitality sector.
In the initial phase, the project will be implemented within a radius of 10 km in the selected destinations at Kovalam, Kumarakom, Munnar and Fort Kochi, the minister said.
Besides that, a project to bring women stakeholders in the tourism sector under a single umbrella has also been drawn up as part of the initiatives to strengthen women-friendly tourism, he said.
"So far, 17,631 women have registered under the project through the Responsible Tourism Mission Society. They include tour operators, home-stay owners, drivers and other tourism entrepreneurs," he said.
Riyas further said that Kerala Tourism has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) to leverage the innovation ecosystem for tourism development.
The pact envisages a slew of innovative ideas, including dissemination of information on digital platforms regarding destinations and tourist amenities, the minister said, adding that the state's design policy has been leveraged to keep destinations environment friendly and aesthetically appealing.
"The Destination Challenge project, which seeks to bring to fore lesser-known destinations, is being implemented in collaboration with Local Self Government Institutions. So, far 40 such spots have been identified," he added.
Riyas said that the Destination Challenge project was vital to maintain the growth of the state's tourism sector as it supports the global trend of 'Destination Dupe' where tourists skip tourist hot spots for lesser known, less crowded and affordable destinations.
He further said that in order to ramp up the state's reputation as an experiential tourism hub, training programmes for local stakeholders have also been organised.
Additionally, campus-based Tourism Clubs have been roped in for development, upkeep and branding of destinations in their respective areas and a scheme to train students as tourism guides with proficiency in various languages has also been launched, he told the House.
Another area identified for further development is Farm Tourism, the minister said.
As part of it, the Responsible Tourism Mission Society has imparted training for 952 units, he said.
As part of promoting heritage tourism, heritage walks with the participation of students will be organised, he added.
(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)