Kerala lags other states in tourist arrival ranking
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: It might be true the state popularly known as ‘God’s Own Country’ has carved a niche in the global holiday tourism industry and has become a global super brand over the years.
But the state is yet to find its due space in the ranking index of the country in terms of domestic and foreign tourist arrivals. According to the ranking of states and Union Territories (UTs) done on the basis of Domestic Tourist Visits (DTVs) and Foreign Tourist Visits (FTVs) in the country based on all India growth rate, the state ranks only 17 on the domestic front and eight in the foreign segment.
According to the index, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra are leading in terms of both domestic and foreign tourist arrivals. Popular destinations like Goa and even Rajasthan are trailing behind states like Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh.
Speaking to Express, tourism director P Balakiran said the index prepared by the Union Tourism Ministry lacks clarity on many counts. Even Bihar has found a place in the top 10 list of foreign tourist arrivals in the country, on the other hand a state like Rajasthan, a popular destination of foreign tourists along with Kerala and Goa, is trailing behind many other unpopular tourism states, he said.
While stating many states which have large geographical area can accommodate more people a year, he said the list, however, does not reflect the reality of the growth in the sector. For instance, the state does not count Sabarimala pilgrims or domestic tourists who visit popular pilgrim destinations in the state while taking the annual headcount, whereas many other states count their devotees as tourists, he added.
Though the ranking would not have any direct bearing on the tourism prospects of the state, it will have an indirect bearing. When the Centre considers iconic sites in various clusters in the country for development, the growth rate-based index is likely to be a criterion.
In the 2018-19 fiscal, the Ministry of Tourism has identified 17 iconic sites in 12 clusters in the country for development based on various objectives like holistic development of selected iconic sites to global standards, developing sustainable tourism infrastructure, robust operations and maintenance plan, publicity and promotion of iconic sites, and employment generation through community participation.
Leading the pack
Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra are leading in terms of both domestic and foreign tourist arrivals. Popular destinations like Goa and Rajasthan are trailing behind TN and UP
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