Sweltering heat and the election mood prevailing over the country seem to have taken a toll on domestic tourist arrivals to Kerala.
The State used to see the highest domestic tourist arrivals in the summer months of April and May. For instance, in the pre-pandemic year of 2019, which was also an election year, the hospitality sector witnessed an occupancy of 16.13 lakh tourists in April and 18.18 lakh in May.
The domestic tourism sector has rebounded, with total tourist arrivals in 2023 clocking a record of 2.18 crore against 1.83 crore in 2019. However, despite the buoyancy in the sector, domestic tourist arrivals are low this year, according to stakeholders in the hospitality sector.
“During an election year, tourist inflow to the State is affected slightly due to the restrictions in carrying money and other reasons. Besides, people also avoid travelling on such occasions to some extent. Further, popular hill stations such as Idukki is also witnessing record maximum day temperature of 35–36°C,” says Ashok Swaroop, managing partner of Kallada Travel House, Kochi.
Instead, there is an uptick in tourist movements to locations such as Coorg in Karnataka and Ooty and Kodaikanal in Tamil Nadu as per travel booking trends, says Mr. Swroop.
However, the industry is hopeful of a revival in May after the elections are over in Kerala. In addition, there will be respite from the sizzling temperatures in May, with the State expected to get pre-monsoon showers, he says.
Though domestic arrivals have been impacted by the unfavourable climate, the outbound tourism market from Kerala is not significantly affected.
“Of course, the election mood and Ramzan have forced many to postpone travel for the time being. However, the outbound tourism sector has been steadily growing for some time now,” says K.V. Muralidharan, president, Kerala Association of Travel Agents.
“Above all, there is a slowdown in the economy, forcing many to limit leisure spending. This is palpable in the industry,” says Mr. Muralidharan.
