Kerala Tourism now has over 2 mn online Ambassadors

Agencies

February 7, 2019

Thiruvananthapuram, Feb 7: 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 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.

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QR-code tips power Mangaluru's major drug bust: 25 arrested in 2 weeks

News Network

December 16,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 16: The Mangaluru City police have significantly escalated their campaign against drug trafficking, arresting 25 individuals and booking 12 cases under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act between November 30 and December 13. The crackdown resulted in the seizure of a substantial quantity of illicit substances, including 685.6 grams of MDMA and 1.5 kg of ganja.

The success of this recent drive has been significantly boosted by the city’s innovative, QR code-based anonymous reporting system.

"The anonymous reporting system has received an encouraging response. Several recent arrests were made based on inputs received through this system, helping police tighten the noose around drug peddlers," said the City Police Commissioner.

The latest arrests contribute to a robust year-to-date record, underscoring the police's relentless commitment to combating the drug menace.

Up to December 14 this year, the police have registered a total of 107 cases of drug peddling, leading to the arrest of 219 peddlers. Furthermore, they have booked 562 cases of drug consumption, resulting in the arrest of 671 individuals.

The scale of the seizure for the year reflects the magnitude of the problem being tackled: police have seized 320.6 kg of ganja worth ₹88.7 lakh and 1.4 kg of MDMA valued at ₹1.2 crore. Other significant seizures include hydro-weed ganja worth ₹94.7 lakh and cocaine worth ₹1.9 lakh, among others.

The Commissioner emphasized a policy of rigorous enforcement: "We ensure that peddlers are caught red-handed so that they cannot later dispute the case or claim innocence."

To counter the rising trend of substance abuse among youth, the Mangaluru City police have rolled out uniform guidelines for random drug testing across educational institutions.

As part of the drive, tests were conducted in approximately 100 institutions, screening an estimated 5,500 to 6,000 students in the first phase. 20 students tested positive for drug consumption during the initial screening.

Students who tested positive have been provided counselling and are scheduled for re-testing in the second quarter. The testing will also be expanded to students not covered in the first phase. In a move to ensure strict implementation, police personnel were deployed in mufti in some institutions. Reiterating a zero-tolerance stance, the Commissioner confirmed that random testing will continue, and colleges have also been instructed to conduct drug tests at the time of admission to deter substance abuse from an early stage.

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