Kerala to spend Rs. 80 cr on int’l markets

Kerala witnessed more than 2 crore domestic tourists in 2024. The state aims to leverage the tourist offerings in its Northern region with advance infrastructure and new products, such as caravan parks and heli tourism, to further boost the numbers. Sikha Surendran, Director, Kerala Tourism and Managing Director, KTDC shares details.

Amita Pandey

Announcing Rs. 385 crore for the tourism sector in the state budget for 2025-26, Kerala is optimistic that domestic tourist arrivals will get further boost. Ahead of the summer holidays, Kerala Tourism has rolled out an enticing collection of products to ensure that the destination has something to offer for every season.

During the recent Kerala Tourism Partnership Meet in Delhi, Sikha Surendran, Director, Kerala Tourism and Managing Director, Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC), said, “Kerala Tourism has been conducting business-to-business meetings in major cities (of India) to drive tourist inflow from the traditional markets into Kerala. Delhi is already the traditional market for Kerala, and it is one of the major contributors to domestic tourist inflow. We have come with 45 trade partners from Kerala to meet tour operators, DMCs and travel agents from the NCR region.”

New products
This time Kerala is making efforts to highlight hidden gems in the Northern region of the state, especially Bekal, Wayanad and Kozhikode, with vastly improved infrastructure, logistics and digital connectivity. Surendran pointed out, “Generally, tourists would come to the centre and head to the south and go back. As you see Kerala is a coastal state, right from the north to south we have the pristine beaches, serene backwaters and hill stations. These multifarious tapestry is not exclusive to South only, even North Kerala has a lot to offer. Hence, we are bringing up more investments, especially in the room inventory to northern Kerala.”

Footfalls
Underlining the success in drawing a noticeable number of tourists into the state last year, Surendran revealed, “In 2023, we had 6.49 lakh foreign tourist arrivals and 2.19 crore domestic tourist arrivals. In 2024, the domestic tourist numbers reached 2.22 crores, which is all-time high. In fact, in H1 2024 only, Kerala witnessed the arrival of 1.09 crore domestic tourists.”

She added, “Multiple initiatives by the state played role in this success. One such specific project called ‘Exploring the unexplored’ significantly highlighted the offbeat gems in the state. Additionally, Kerala dedicated a particular fund for this purpose.”

Weddings & MICE
Without specifying how many weddings and MICE events took place in the state after Kerala’s effort last year to sell it as premier destination for the same, Surendran said, “Many weddings are happening in Kerala; even international couples are choosing the state. As state, Kerala has the potential to create memorable experience for the wedding segment due to the majestic landscape present in the state. One can mix this experience with the traditional art forms, cuisine, and sometimes even the dress.”

International markets
When asked which international markets are going to be on Kerala’s radar after the state government allocated Rs. 80 crore for global promotions in the annual budget, she said, “We will continue to focus on our traditional global markets: Europe, North America and South America. We are also eyeing Southeast Asia. Additionally, last year saw a rise in arrivals from Australia, so we are going to focus on it as well. We will be conducting roadshows in these markets and leveraging digital promotions.”