KOCHI: While the summer showers have caused many Malayali families to cancel their bookings at hill stations, the heatwave in north Indian states are driving more inter-state travellers to Kerala’s hilly areas. However, foreign tourists are yet to return after the pandemic.
“All eyes are on the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) slated for the first week of May,” said a tourism department official, adding that the state is witnessing an influx of domestic tourists from other states. “But they are choosing hill stations over beaches and other spots,” he added.
According to Geethu Mohandas, a travel influencer, nearly all the enquiries from north Indian tourists are about hill stations. “This time around, the heatwave seems to have hit even the cool spots up north,” she said. Weekend tourism is also picking up, she added. “People want to escape their hectic lives. Hill stations is a good change and great place to unwind,” said Geethu.
Ajai Kumar KS, a German-speaking professional guide, said there are many Malayali travellers too. “Most enquiries are from tourists in north India. But the conversions are less. We hope the situation will change for the better from September,” he said, Many tourist guides have received tour bookings for 2023, he added. “I am expecting enquiries from next week onwards too,” he said. Ajai is presently acting as a guide for a German couple who are in the state for their honeymoon.
Climate change
The change in climate pattern has affected tourism, says Geethu. “Just when domestic tourism was picking up pace, unseasonal rain is leading to cancellations,” she said. “The consecutive floods, landslides and other weather-related problems have made tourists wary of monsoon packages,” she added.Ajai said the high flight fare is keeping many foreign travellers from coming down. “People in Europe love travelling. However, the closure of the travel agencies as an after-effect of Covid-induced economic meltdown has affected their travel plans,” he said.
Huge expo
The four-day Kerala Travel Mart 2022 will be inaugurated on May 5. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will declare it open at Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty