logo
Kerala Tourism courts row after roping in YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra for tourism promotion

Kerala Tourism courts row after roping in YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra for tourism promotion

The Hindua day ago
After riding high on the social media sensation created by the F-35B campaign of Kerala Tourism, which went viral in cyberspace, Kerala Tourism now hit an air pocket following a controversy over roping in Haryana YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan on May 20, 2025, for its social media campaign.
According to a reply by Kerala Tourism to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act, the Tourism department made use of the services of 41 selected social media influencers for the promotion of the State. The 41 selected influencers also toured the State during the period between January 1 and May 21, 2025.
The invitation to Ms. Malhotra was extended by Kerala Tourism, and she had visited various tourist destinations in Kannur, Kozhikode, Kochi, Alappuzha, and Munnar. The department had footed the bills for her stay and travel apart from the engagement rate fixed for availing her service.
For six days
According to a statement issued by the office of Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas on Sunday, she was part of the media familiarisation (FAM) trip conducted by Kerala Tourism, and she had stayed here for about six days between January 15 and 21, 2025. When Ms. Malhotra, with 392k followers on social media, was selected for the promotional tour by the empanelled marketing agencies, there was no case charged against her by any of the enforcement agencies in India.
To date, Kerala had made use of the services of over 500 vloggers during the last 15 years as part of tourism promotion campaigns like Blog Express, Keralam Kanam, My First Trip, Human by Nature, Land of Harmony, etc. Ms. Malhotra's service was also used by other States for promotional activities. The only thing Kerala Tourism could ensure during the time of selecting the social media influencers was that they were not charged with any cases during the time of selection.
'Thwarting progress'
The present controversy is aimed at thwarting the progress and reputation of Kerala as a safe, secure, and beautiful destination in the country, said the statement.
Earlier, an AI-generated picture of the grounded F-35B of the U.K. at Thiruvananthapuram International Airport used by the Kerala Tourism for the promotion of the State went viral on social media.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Kerala to draft women-friendly tourism policy
Kerala to draft women-friendly tourism policy

The Hindu

time7 hours ago

  • The Hindu

Kerala to draft women-friendly tourism policy

For the first time in the country, Kerala Tourism will introduce a gender-inclusive and women-friendly tourism policy. This is part of the efforts, launched in 2022 under the aegis of the Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission Society, to make the State a women-friendly destination. As part of the initiative, the State government will soon declare destinations such as Kanthalloor, Kumarakom, Perumpalam, Kadalundi, Kanakakkunnu Palace in Thiruvananthapuram, and Munnar, where a gender audit has been completed, women-friendly destinations, according to Tourism department sources. Efforts are also under way to declare another 14 destinations where the gender audit is in the final stages women-friendly by this year itself. However, significant infrastructure gaps were found in 72 destinations where safety audits have been completed. A policy framework is needed to address the gaps, and a stakeholders' workshop scheduled to be held on Tuesday as part of formulating a comprehensive gender-inclusive and women-friendly tourism policy in line with the declaration made at the Global Women Conference on Gender-Inclusive and Responsible Tourism held in December 2024 is expected to come up with suggestions to formulate the framework of the policy. Stakeholder meetings There would be more stakeholder meetings before finalising the draft. 'The main purpose of the policy is to make Kerala a travel destination that appeals to women by revolutionising the travel and tourism industry of the State. Already, the Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission Society has undertaken a slew of initiatives, and 17,631 units were registered under the society, including units that undertake exclusive women's tours, homestays, souvenir units run by women, and so on. However, lot needs to be done to attract more women to undertake a variety of entrepreneurial opportunities in the hospitality sector, as well as to attract women travellers to Kerala. The policy is expected to bridge the gaps in the area and redefine women's travel in Kerala,' said a senior Tourism department officer. Close to 60% the tourists who frequent various scenic destinations in Kerala are women and children.

‘Red carpet for Pak spies': YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra's Kerala trip gives BJP fresh ammo to target Pinarayi govt
‘Red carpet for Pak spies': YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra's Kerala trip gives BJP fresh ammo to target Pinarayi govt

Indian Express

time10 hours ago

  • Indian Express

‘Red carpet for Pak spies': YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra's Kerala trip gives BJP fresh ammo to target Pinarayi govt

A visit to Kerala by YouTuber Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested on May 16 by the Haryana police on charges of spying for Pakistan, on the state government's invitation, has spiralled into a political row, with the BJP seeking the resignation of Kerala's tourism minister. 'RTI reveals Pakistani spy Jyoti Malhotra visited Kerala on Left government invite and was state guest in a sense courtesy Tourism Department. So Bharat Mata is blocked and Pak spies are given red carpet by Left? Tourism Minister Mohammad Riyas is son-in-law of (CM Pinarayi) Vijayan. He should be sacked and investigated,' BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Jai Hind posted on X on Monday. On Sunday, Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas told the media that vloggers like Jyoti were brought to Kerala with good intentions. 'No government will deliberately bring a spy to the state at its expense,' Riyas said. Senior BJP leader K Surendran also out at the ruling government: 'Pak-spy Jyoti Malhotra's Kannur trip was sponsored by Kerala tourism, run by none other than Pinarayi Vijayan's son-in-law. Why is Kerala rolling out a red carpet for a Pak-linked spy.' Jyoti's channel, Travel with Jo, had a sizable following on YouTube and Instagram, capturing her trips to various locations. The Kerala trip videos were posted in January this year. She was invited to Kerala by the tourism department, which met her expenses during the Kerala sojourn. It was part of the department's tourism promotion activities outside the state. It was Jyoti's two visits to Pakistan – the first in April 2024, when she took a train from Wagah to Lahore, and the other in March this year, over a month before the Pahalgam terror attack – that brought her under official scrutiny, and led to her arrest. According to the police, she allegedly told them that it was in 2023, during a visit to the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi for a travel visa, that she met Ahsan-ur-Rahim alias Danish, a now-expelled official at the commission. Danish was declared persona non-grata and expelled from India on May 13 after he was accused of spying. The Hisar Police has alleged that she was found sharing 'sensitive information' with an official of the Pakistan High Commission in Delhi.

‘Pakistan spy' Jyoti Malhotra visited Kerala on govt invitation, reveals RTI; state tourism min reacts
‘Pakistan spy' Jyoti Malhotra visited Kerala on govt invitation, reveals RTI; state tourism min reacts

Mint

time14 hours ago

  • Mint

‘Pakistan spy' Jyoti Malhotra visited Kerala on govt invitation, reveals RTI; state tourism min reacts

Jyoti Malhotra, a 33-year-old vlogger from Haryana recently arrested on charges of espionage for Pakistan, had earlier visited Kerala on an official invitation from the state government, said an RTI (Right to Information) reply that has now surfaced. Malhotra was part of a tourism promotion campaign organised by the Kerala Tourism Department, which funded a group of social media influencers to enhance the state's digital visibility as a travel destination, ANI reported. The RTI response confirms that Malhotra's travel, stay, and itinerary expenses were fully covered by the department during her visit, according to a report by ANI. As per official records, Jyoti Malhotra toured Kannur, Kozhikode, Kochi, Alappuzha, and Munnar between 2024 and 2025 under the government's influencer collaboration initiative. Her participation was listed alongside several other digital creators active between January 2024 and May 2025. Investigations have since revealed that Malhotra had travelled to Pakistan multiple times and had established contacts with officials from Pakistani intelligence agencies, including personnel from the Pakistan High Commission. One such official was later expelled by India after their association came to light, ANI reported. Kerala Tourism Minister P A Mohammed Riyas on Sunday said that the Left government in the state and its ministers would never "knowingly" invite spies here and provide them with all facilities. Riyas remarked in response to reporters' queries regarding BJP leader K Surendran's allegation that social media influencer Jyoti Malhotra, who was arrested in May on suspicion of spying for Pakistan, was invited to Kerala to promote tourism in the state. Surendran, in a post on social media platform 'X', also referred to an RTI reply confirming such an invitation to Malhotra and questioned why 'a Pak-linked spy's trip' was sponsored by Kerala Tourism. One of her earlier viral clips shows her dressed in a traditional Kerala sari while attending a Theyyam performance in Kannur, highlighting her role in cultural and tourism-focused content creation. Malhotra is among 12 individuals arrested in a coordinated crackdown across Punjab, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh, targeting a suspected spy network accused of using Indian social media influencers to gather intelligence. The Left government in the state and its ministers would never 'knowingly' invite spies here. Her YouTube channel, Travel with Jo, features 487 videos, including travel content from Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Thailand. Key Takeaways Government initiatives can unintentionally invite scrutiny when involving individuals with controversial backgrounds. The importance of thorough vetting in influencer collaborations for public campaigns. Understanding the implications of social media influencers in national security contexts.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store