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.
