Kerala Tourism introduced a new product for the festive holiday season

• The state saw a rapid increase in the number of domestic tourists, as well as an increase in the number of foreign tourists

Kerala Tourism has introduced a range of new products and tour packages to spark renewed interest among domestic and foreign tourists in the upcoming festival and winter season. Along with the new projects, major assets of the state such as beaches, hill stations, houseboats, and backwater segments will become the center of attraction for visitors. Kerala’s unique tourist appeal offers tourists a variety of experiences such as houseboats, caravan stays, plantation visits, jungle lodges, homestays, Ayurveda-based wellness solutions, adventure activities, trekking in rural areas, and green hills.

The pandemic-hit tourism industry is once again on track, as evidenced by the significant rise in domestic tourist arrivals in Kerala.  In 2019, the pre-COVID year, the state recorded the highest growth rate in 24 years in domestic and total tourist arrivals at 1,95,74,004, comprising 1,83,84,233 domestic tourists and 11,89,771 foreign visitors.

2023 saw a record-breaking surge in the number of domestic tourists, with as many as 21,871,641 people visiting the state. Not only this, the number of international tourists was 6,49,057.

Kerala attracted 50,37,307 domestic tourists until the first quarter (January–March) of 2024, compared to 49,36,274 visitors during the same period last year. Thus, Kerala has witnessed a 2.05 percent increase in tourist arrivals. Equally reassuring for Kerala is the rise in international tourist arrivals, which are projected to reach pre-COVID levels by 2025.

Speaking about this, Tourism Minister Mr. P. A. Mohammad Riyaz says that now our focus will not be limited to beaches, backwaters, and hill stations. “We are taking new initiatives towards making Kerala’s reputation suitable for hosting in all seasons. Our latest offering will spark renewed interest among visitors as it makes Kerala an attractive experiential tourism destination for all categories of visitors, whether globetrotters, honeymooning couples, backpackers, or adventure seekers.”

One of the results of the continuous efforts to revive the tourism sector was Kerala Tourism’s digital marketing campaign, which won the prestigious PATA Gold Award.  The New York Times included Kerala in its list of 52 places to visit in 2023.

Kerala Travel Mart is Asia’s largest tourism event, organized in September to boost the state’s tourism sector. More than 1,500 domestic buyers and 650 foreign buyers have registered for the program.

Kerala will host an international conference on gender-inclusive tourism in October. The conference will showcase the state’s success in promoting participatory development in tourism through its tourism scheme and address the challenges faced by women tourists.

Speaking on this, Shri Biju K, Tourism Secretary, Government of Kerala, said, “We are transforming the whole of Kerala into a stable interconnected tourist destination where visitors will have many choices and diverse experiences in the few days they spend in the state.”

He added, “This will provide a comfortable, rejuvenating, safe, and learning experience for the new-age tourist traveling to the enchanting allure of Kerala’s rural hinterland and lesser-known destinations.”
New offerings include heli-tourism, which is being touted as a game changer. The Project Sky initiative aims to provide day trips between the state’s top tourist destinations.  Another offering is Caravan Tourism: Caravan Kerala, which takes tourists to the interior and rural hinterlands of the state.

To significantly increase the number of tourists, tour operators and hoteliers in Kerala are offering attractive packages for the festival and winter holiday season.  The upcoming festival season is also witnessing a boom in international bookings.

Ms. Shikha Surendran, Director, Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, said, “Starting with the partnership meet in Vadodara, Kerala Tourism introduced new products to a wider audience across the country, as well as organizing travel trade networking activities, including participating in trade fairs and organizing B2B Roadshows.

The B2B meeting will be held in Surat, Mumbai, and Pune on August 16, 28, and 29, respectively. Thereafter, similar partnership meetings will be held in Chennai and Kolkata next month.She further said, “Our continuous and innovative initiatives to reach our target market through various promotional mediums have successfully established Kerala as a must-visit destination. In addition, MICE, destination weddings, responsible tourism, adventure, wellness, and more will be pursued with vigor.”