The State’s tourism sector is keeping its fingers crossed ahead of the peak monsoon season as the rains have already dashed the hopes of the sector in the last week of summer vacation in Kerala.
This period, just ahead of the school reopening, used to witness a heavy rush of tourists. Over the years, monsoon tourism had caught the imagination of tourists and the industry had been benefiting significantly from monsoon and wellness tourism during the season. However, the catastrophic Wayanad landslides last year hit the sector very badly with majority of the tourists staying away from hill stations in the State during the rains.
Afterwards, the State government had to unleash campaign blitzkriegs titled ‘Revisit Wayanad,’ and ‘Ente Keralam Ennum Sundaram’ (My Kerala is Ever Beautiful) to woo back tourists.
The four days of monsoon have seen the State netting a humongous 250 mm of rains. Further, weatherpersons forecasted an above normal rainy season for the State this year, along with surplus rain in June, putting pressure on the hospitality sector.
‘Operation Sindoor’
According to James Kodianthara, chairperson of the Kerala chapter of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), there were already substantial cancellations of inbound tourists, before the beginning of monsoon, in the wake of ‘Operation Sindoor’ as there was uncertainty over the escalating violence between India and Pakistan.
In addition, the monsoon, which made a heavy onset, made things worse with domestic tourists preferring to stay away from hill stations and backwaters, in fear of being stranded, said Mr. Kodianthara. The panic being created over the rains often drive the tourists from north India to choose other locations, including destinations in neighbouring countries, he added.
The State government should identify the hotspots prone to landslips and issue guidelines for travellers well ahead of the monsoon season. Closing down the hotspots, which often will be small localities, during the peak of the monsoon and publicising other safe destinations and holding special campaigns will help instil confidence among tourists and save the prospects of the sector, said Sajeer Padikkal, president of the Malabar Tourism Council.
Growth of sector
In 2024, the growth of domestic tourism was just 1.7% compared to the 15.92% clocked in 2023 as a result of the landslides. . The average growth of domestic tourism in Kerala during the pre-pandemic era was slightly close to 10%.
Published – May 29, 2025 09:20 pm IST
