Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it seems the bewitching charm of the hill stations in Kerala has not failed to beckon the tourists into its lap. Though there was restricted entry for tourists in most of the tourist destinations across the State for the last two years, an analysis of the 2021 tourist arrival figures prepared by the Tourism Department reveals that hill stations were the most preferred choice of tourists in Kerala during the pandemic period.
It is considered that houseboat tourism is the mainstay and mascot of Kerala tourism. But the analysis of tourist footfall in each segment reveals that hill stations recorded the highest growth than other segments such as backwater tourism or pilgrim tourism during the period. In 2021, Idukki and Wayanad recorded the highest growth of 88.43% and 102.4%, respectively as compared to 2020 in tourist arrivals, while the average State growth was 51.09% during the year as against 2020.
Alappuzha, the global houseboat tourism hub, has seen a growth of 70.56% during 2021 as against 2020. The number of tourists visiting the backwater tourism is relatively less compared to the tourist arrivals in hill stations. For instance, the destination-wise analysis reveals that Munnar received 11.39 lakh tourists in 2019, pre-pandemic time, while the number was just 5.01 lakh in Kumarakom in the same year.
A senior officer in the Tourism Department said that for the last few years hill stations have been registering a robust growth compared to other segments. Further, hill stations showed immediate signs of tourism bouncing back to its normalcy after recording the highest negative growth at the peak of the pandemic, with domestic tourists flocking to the hill destinations.
“Still the awe-inspiring hills and jaw-dropping beauty of tea-blanketed valleys are a major attraction for the tourists. In addition, the tourists from neighbouring States of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu had easy connectivity to Wayanad and Idukki even at the height of the COVID outbreak. This has also contributed to the growth in the hill stations,” said the official.
James Kodianthara, chairman of the Kerala chapter of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), said hill destinations can hold a larger number of guests than sectors such as houseboats. Plus, among the local tourists in Kerala, hill destinations are more popular than beach destinations as the majority of the domestic tourists always has easy access to beaches across Kerala, he said.
