Kerala's tourism sector not affected by Nipah scare, says minister Riyas

Kerala Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas said on Thursday that the state's tourism sector was not affected by the Nipah scare.

''There is no restriction on travelling anywhere in Kerala. It is absolutely safe to travel to Kerala,'' he told PTI here.

Riyas said there are still large numbers of domestic and international tourists coming to Kerala, and no travel advisories have been issued.

Riyas, who oversees the government's measures to prevent the spread of the virus in Kozhikode, where the outbreak was reported, said even in containment zones there are not many issues, and there is no restriction on travel to the district either.

The outbreak of Nipah was reported when the tourist season began in the state.

The key sector, which provides direct and indirect employment to several thousands of people and revenue for the state exchequer, had just recovered from the COVID-19 pandemic.