National
Rise in domestic, foreign tourist arrivals in Kerala
Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 6 (IANS) The figures released by the Kerala Tourism Department on Tuesday showed that there has been an increase of 11.39 per cent in domestic tourists and 5.15 per cent rise in foreign tourists in 2017 as compared to 2016.
During 2017, 1,46,73,520 tourists visited the state, up from 1,31,72,535 in 2016.
In terms of tourism revenue, total foreign exchange from the tourism sector during 2017 increased 8.29 per cent to Rs 8,392.11 crores, as compared to 2016.
The total revenue from tourism grew from Rs 29,658.56 crore to Rs 33,383.68 crore.
“This growth comes at a time when the tourism industry is suffering from adverse factors like enhanced GST rates and other issues. The growth figures point to the immense popularity Kerala Tourism enjoys beyond the borders,” said State Minister of Tourism Kadakampally Surendran here.
Rani George, Secretary Department of Tourism, said the new Tourism Policy 2017 has set an ambitious target of increasing domestic tourist arrivals by 50 per cent by 2021 and also in doubling the number of foreign tourists.
“This would require a growth of around nine per cent every year for domestic tourists and around 15 per cent for international tourists,” said George.
Domestic travellers to Kerala mainly arrived from the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra and Telangana.
Tamil Nadu accounts for the maximum of 12.72 lakh visitors, followed by Karnataka with 9.33 lakh tourists, and Maharashtra with 5.47 lakh tourists.
Taking into account the number of foreign travellers who arrived in Kerala, tourists from the UK came first with an increase of 16.35 per cent at 1,80,975 visitors.
As many as 92,951 travellers came from the US while the Canadian tourists stood at 28,676. The number of travellers from four Asian countries — China, Japan, Maldives and Indonesia — also registered positive growth.
According to the Kerala Tourism statistics, the post-GST regime saw a decline in the growth rate of domestic tourist arrivals.
–IANS
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National
Foodman Vishal Singh Honored for Hunger Free World Mission in Bangkok
Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.