Setting a new benchmark on social media platforms, the number of followers on the official Facebook page of Kerala Tourism has now increased to over two million followers, making it numero uno among the

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portals of any such tourism departments in the country.

One of the first tourism departments in India to have an online presence, the Facebook page, packed with fascinating information, presents to the followers some of the most engaging visual treats of Keralas landscape, a release said.

Innovative tourism products and experiences of Kerala such as 'Responsible Tourism' and 'Village Life Experiences' form a part of the daily updates of the page.

Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said the achievement has brought recognition for Kerala Tourism not just from other parts of India but also from countries like the UAE, Saudi Arabia, USA, Australia and the UK.

While appreciating the efforts that led Kerala Tourism to achieve the pole position in terms of Facebook followers, the minister appealed to the followers to help spread the uniqueness of the state as a tourism destination, with just a click on the 'Like' and 'Share' buttons.

It was in August 2014 that @keralatourismofficial had crossed the one million mark.

Tourism Secretary Rani George said making a brand presence on social media has been part of their efforts to position Kerala firmly as a tourism destination across all segments of the population.

Social media has helped transcend geographies, she

said.

The Kerala Tourism Facebook page played a vital role in communicating to the world that Kerala was tourism-ready after the August 2018 floods through live videos across destinations.

Tourism Director P Bala Kiran said Kerala Tourism page occupies the top slot in a comparison with other tourism pages in the country, ahead of Gujarat Tourism and the Incredible India pages.

"The FB pages above Kerala like Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia are countries whereas we are a small state," he said.

While Kerala Tourism has 2.4 million plus likes, Gujarat Tourism has 1.3 million, followed by Incredible India with 1.2 million, he said.

When compared to other international tourism pages, the page ranks fourth, slightly trailing behind 'Amazing Thailand' page.

'Tourism Malaysia' is at the top of the pack with 3.4 million followers, 'Visit Singapore' has 3.1 million followers and 'Amazing Thailand' 2.5 million.

Kerala Tourism, as on date, has 2.4 million plus tourists on board.

Last year, Kerala Tourism had overtaken Jammu & Kashmir and Gujarat Tourism's Facebook pages and secured the first spot in a ranking by Facebook based on total engagement with tourists that included reactions, shares, and comments on the page.

Apart from Facebook, Kerala Tourism has an active presence on Twitter and Instagram.

The Department has been successfully conducting the Kerala Blog Express, an offline digital activity for the past five years.