Kozhikode: This year’s Beypore International Water Festival will be held from December 24 to 28. The organising committee has already kicked off a high-voltage campaign to attract visitors around the globe. The fest will witness diverse water sports and entertainment events.

It was in 2021 that the state pitched the fest on the global tourism map as an attraction like Thrissur Pooram. According to Kerala Tourism’s website, the last edition had a participation of more than 4 lakh people. “The festival featured races and celebrations at ten venues in Beypore. These included kayaking, paddle race, display boat, boat races, Navy’s band music and an exhibition of naval ships,” it added.

Meanwhile, the tourism sector in the state is slowly reviving after taking a hit following the Covid pandemic. During the first half of this year, a total of 38 lakh tourists arrived in Kerala. 43,547 tourists were from foreign countries. Similarly, the state made a record-setting 196 per cent surge in domestic tourist arrivals in the first three quarters of this year as compared to the corresponding period a year ago.