Sparkling peacock blue waters and pristine beaches continue to be a major charm for foreigners visiting Kerala. Among the top 25 destinations in the State that were visited by foreign tourists in 2023, beaches were the most favoured, followed by hill stations and backwater destinations.
Among beaches, Kovalam and Fort Kochi welcomed the highest number of international tourists in 2023. Though Kovalam was the most sought-after destination for foreign tourists till 2015, Fort Kochi became a major attraction in the years preceding the COVID-19 outbreak. However, during the post-pandemic period, Kovalam’s popularity surged, with 65,333 foreign visitors in 2023.
Fort Kochi stood second with 45,229 guests, followed by Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram (19,365), Cherai Beach in Ernakulam, Poovar in Thiruvananthapuram, Meenkunnu Payyambalam in Kannur, Bekal in Kasaragod, and Kadalundi in Kozhikode. Hill stations and eco-tourism centres at Munnar and Thekkady were the next popular category, followed by backwater tourism destinations such as Kumarakom and Alappuzha.
Hotel occupancy
Hotel occupancy was the highest in Kochi, with 1,82,756 foreign guests staying there in 2023, followed by Thiruvananthapuram with 57,379 guests. These two cities are the main gateways for foreigners to Kerala. Chiefly MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions tourism) and medical tourists stay in the cities for long, while others would move to other destinations in two days, according to the Tourism department officials who collected the data.
Domestic tourists’ choice
Further, the foreigners seem to have shown less interest in other tourism products in the State. Despite beaches’ popularity, beach tourism is still in its infancy here, according to industry experts. Since most foreigners visit the State during the winter season in their country, their focus would be on taking a sunbath or a stroll through the shores. Hill and ecotourism destinations seem to be prime choice for domestic tourists.
Kerala attracted 2.18 crore domestic tourists in 2023. Whereas, foreign tourist arrival has yet to pick momentum after the pandemic. Only 6.49 lakh foreigners visited Kerala in 2023, while their number was around 11.89 lakh in 2019.
