Within hours of television screens running the news of tsunami alerts to as many as 28 nations, the surf was up for many tourists in Kovalam, who packed their bags for an early return. Memories of the devastating 2004 tsunami triggered a mini-panic in Kerala's tourism circles as at least some international tourists decided against taking any risks as per an ET report.

"It was the foreign tourists who seemed to be really concerned. Many of them asked us whether it was safe to go to the beach at all, which is the very reason they come here. While we advised everyone to wait for at least two hours before venturing into the sea, some of them decided to not even weigh prospects, and just checked out," says Karan Bakshi, regional general manager of Thomas Hotels and Resorts which has three properties in south Kerala, including two in the Vizhinjam-Kovalam stretch choc-a-bloc with coastal getaways famous for Ayurvedic therapies.

Bakshi, however, does not feel that the forthcoming season will be deeply impacted by tsunami concerns, a view shared by Kerala tourism director Rani George. "The tsunami alert last week was just that, and nothing more. It was only a warning and there was no major mishap. We don't expect this incident to have a major bearing on the forthcoming season," says she.

Kerala tourism has reason to be optimistic, considering that it has retained its status for the second consecutive year as the best tourism destination in India in a recent survey by Neilsen, besides recording a strong double-digit growth in 2010 over 2009 in international tourist arrivals.