Kerala tops search engine lists

Kerala is on the fast track as a must-see tourist destination, according to Google search trends.

The internet search engine has revealed that India's southern province was the number one travel destination for 2012.

A top official at the Kerala tourism ministry has hailed the positive effect this endorsement carries, and said: "We are one of the first government establishments to make use of the internet to reach out to the world."

The region's areas of natural beauty include beaches and cool backwaters. In addition, there is the phenomenon of "medical tourism", with people arriving for ayurvedic treatment, a branch of holistic medicine.

Kerala even out-muscled the Taj Mahal in terms of its search engine hits in 2012, although the structure in Agra is still one of the country's biggest draws.

Other areas making the most-searched-for list include the Wagah Border, Vaishno Devi, Amarnath, Kashmir and the Gateway of India.