Kerala Tourism fails to attract outsiders; Only 28.5 per cent of visitors from other states

By Aishwarya Nair | First Published May 29, 2024, 10:16 AM IST

Despite the Kerala Tourism Department's claims of a significant increase in domestic tourists over the last two years, statistics reveal that the majority of visitors to the state's tourist centers post-COVID are locals from within Kerala.

Thiruvananthapuram: The tourism department's claim of a significant increase in domestic tourists in Kerala over the past two years has proven to be false. Statistics reveal that three-quarters of the visitors to the state's tourist centers post-COVID are from within Kerala itself. Industry insiders note that there were no effective strategies to attract tourists from outside the state, resulting in lower-than-expected revenue due to the predominance of local tourists.

Tourism Minister PA Muhammad Riyas claimed that the influx of domestic tourists to Kerala post-COVID has reached an all-time high. He stated that anyone visiting a tourist destination within the country is considered a domestic tourist. According to his estimates, 2.18 crore people visited Kerala in this category in 2023, marking a 15.92 percent increase compared to 2022.

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The number of domestic tourists is calculated based on the calendar year. According to this data, 71.5 percent of the total visitors were from Kerala, meaning only 28.5 percent came from other states. The tourism department also acknowledges that 68.85 percent of domestic tourists in the first quarter of 2023 were Keralites.

The tourism department faces strong criticism for failing to plan and provide adequate infrastructure or attract tourists, even at internationally recognized tourism centers. The department's efforts have not extended much beyond generating statistics.

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