KOCHI: The gateway to Kerala tourism is living up to its name, as evidenced by the tourist buses plying on the thoroughfares of Kochi and the multi-lingual crowd thronging the well-catalogued tourist spots in the district.
According to sources in the tourism industry, this tourism season has been excellent, since there has been a significant increase in the number of tourists, both domestic and international, arriving in Ernakulam, especially in Kochi.
“The 2025 tourism year has been a good one, and we can see a similar trend happening this year too,” an official with the state tourism department told TNIE, adding that Ernakulam took the top spot when it came to tourist arrivals, due to airport access and the good accommodation infrastructure.
According to Geethu Mohandas, a travel influencer from Ernakulam, Kochi is a must-visit place in the itinerary of every domestic and foreign traveller. “Fort Kochi, Mattancherry and Kadamakudy are places that feature high on the list,” she said.
Another factor that has brought great visibility to Kochi is its back-to-back mention in international travel magazines and platforms. Also, the reels of picturesque sights in and around Fort Kochi and Mattancherry posted on social media by various content creators, especially those from North India, have piqued interest.
Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) president Jose Pradeep highlighted the remarkable occupancy percentage that hotels in Kochi recorded in the last three months of 2025 (October, November, and December).
“January has started off on a good note. Kochi’s recognition as a MICE and Wedding Tourism destination has come as a boon,” he said.
According to Jose, the average occupancy in hotels in Kochi was around 70% in October, 80% in November, and 85% in December. “These are mainly high-end tourists from abroad and travellers from Tier I cities like Mumbai and Delhi,” he pointed out.
Meanwhile, Kerala Homestay and Tourism Society (K-HATS) director M P Sivadathan noted that homestays in tourist areas near the city have been enjoying 100% occupancy.
“December has been a good season. The Cochin Carnival and the Kochi Muziris Biennale brought a bonanza of business for the homestays and hotels in Fort Kochi and Mattancherry. The trend is continuing this month as well,” he said.
According to him, most domestic tourists prefer homestays since they offer quality service at an affordable rate.
“If you look at the water metro stations at Fort Kochi and Mattancherry, besides the regular passengers, majority are domestic tourists from North India,” he added.
According to Contract Carriage Operators Association state president Binu John, majority of domestic tourists arrive from Maharashtra, Gujarat and Delhi.
“These tourists plan their vacations to coincide with the holidays like Diwali. However, in the case of tourists from Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the arrivals are few and far between,” he added.