Kerala Tourism’s Growth Outpaces World Average: Minister Riyas

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Kerala’s growth in the tourism sector is outpacing the global average, Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas said today.

The Minister emphasised that Kerala is not competing with other states in the tourism arena but rather with countries around the world.

He was speaking during the launch of a digital event calendar prepared by the Tourism Department, which includes information on festivals and celebrations of the state to serve as a quickly accessible guide for visitors to Kerala.

The calendar features 101 selected festivals, fairs, and other events from April 1, 2025, to March 31, 2026.

In addition to this comprehensive schedule, the calendar serves as guide for both domestic and international tourists before their arrival, opening a window into Kerala’s fascinating cultural heritage.

It features an engaging assortment of 75 videos, images, and succinct descriptions that vividly portray each event, allowing potential visitors to immerse themselves in the festivities.

The minister noted that Kerala tourism had been experiencing a continuous upward trajectory each year after the COVID-19 pandemic, which severely impacted the leisure travel industry worldwide.

“Even when many major tourism markets in the world have not demonstrated consistent excellence, Kerala has been able to record continuous growth through innovative projects and products, evident in the increase in domestic and foreign tourists visiting Kerala,” Riyas said.

“Kerala Tourism’s ability to identify tourists’ tastes and formulate new ideas is also reflected in the design of the digital calendar of events. Through this, tourists can learn about the festivals and events in Kerala in advance and prepare travel plans accordingly, allowing more people to participate in the festivals in Kerala.”

The minister added that this would help increase the number of tourists visiting Kerala and better introduce tourism destinations.

Tourism Secretary Biju K, who presided over the function, said the digital event calendar would help tourists learn about festivals in Kerala quickly.

He clarified that this would allow tourists anywhere in the world to find out when and where a festival was taking place in Kerala and travel to that location.

In her welcome address, Tourism Director Sikha Surendran said that tourists can now understand more about each festival through the videos, photos and other detailed information included in the digital calendar.

Additional Director (General) of Tourism Vishnu Raj P proposed the vote of thanks.

The calendar features a variety of festivals that unite people irrespective of their caste and religious identities.

It briefly describes notable temple festivals, church festivals, Uruz, Nercha, and more, detailing each event’s location, date, and rituals.

Additionally, it highlights significant festivals such as Onam, Vishu, Bali Perunnal, and Easter, along with unique art forms of Kerala like Vallamkali, Pulikali, Theyyam, Thira, and Padayani.

Furthermore, the calendar includes festivals and events organised by the Department of Tourism and the state government.