Bangalore, Aug 26 (UNI) God's own Country, Kerala, has generated a total revenue of Rs 11,433 crore in 2007 from tourism, an increase of 25.28 per cent over the previous year and to sustain this growth, it has launched several innovative programmes.

Addressing the press here, Kerala Tourism Director M Shivasankar said Kerala, blessed with magnificent waterways, sheltered beaches, picturesque hills and rejuvenating Ayurveda, has witnessed remarkable increase in the arrival of domestic and international tourists.

While international arrivals recorded 20.37 per cent rise over previous year, domestic tourists registered an increase of over 5.92 per cent, he said.

The State earned a foreign exchange of Rs 2,640.94 crore during 2007, a record growth of 32.82 per cent over the previous year.

During 2007, the arrival of foreign tourists into the state was 5,15,808, while as many as 66,42,941 people from within India came to savour the beauty and experience the rich hospitality in Kerala.

Among the foreign tourists, 23.44 per cent of the total were from United Kingdom followed by France (9.33 per cent) and Germany (7.64 per cent).

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