KOCHI: The Kerala Shipping and Inland Navigation Corporation (KSINC)’s tourism operations in Kochi saw a marginal dip in 2025, but officials insist that the numbers reflect an increased competition rather than a weakening demand. Data accessed by TNIE shows that KSINC carried 93,527 passengers across its six tourism vessels in 2025, a 6.3% dip, compared to 99,879 in 2024.
Nefertiti, the corporation’s flagship sea cruise vessel, remained top performer, recording 32,239 passengers in 2025, down slightly from 34,577 the previous year. “This dip can be attributed to the three months that the vessel was drydocked for maintenance, from June to August,” a KSINC official said.
The sharpest fluctuation was seen in the Sagararani segment, which comprises two vessels: Sagararani and Sagararani II. Sagararani’s ridership dropped from 35,708 in 2024 to 22,725 in 2025 – a sharp fall of nearly 36%. “During the same period, Sagararani II registered a rise from 14,573 to 24,354 passengers,” the official pointed out.
But the fact remains that the vessel was drydocked for five months last year. Among smaller vessels, Cleopatra recorded a healthy rise, from 3,019 passengers in 2024 to 3,799 in 2025, while Michelle saw a decline from 5,106 to 3,404. Sooryamshu, the hybrid solar-powered vessel operating on backwater routes, remained stable, moving just over 7,000 passengers in 2025.
April-May and October-December are consistently the strongest months across vessels. “This aligns with vacations and domestic tourist inflow,” the KSINC official said.
A second spike happens during Onam and other festivals. “Kochi’s inland tourism is clearly a two-season market,” the official added.
The fact that both KSINC and water metro have overlapping entry points on Marine Drive mean that potential passengers are lured to the latter on two points. One, the hype of being on one of India’s celebrated electric water transport system, and two, the option to get down at Fort Kochi or Mattancherry, two prominent reasons why tourists come to Kochi.
“This is not oblivious to the company, but we are betting big on our offerings than do a radical makeover in operations. That said, the potential of berthing in Fort Kochi is available as we do have a docking bay there,” the official said.
To strength its position, the corporation is heavily investing in its infrastructure and rolling out a plethora of new offerings.
“A new, dedicated jetty will open on Foreshore road. This won’t take away operations from Marine Drive. Instead, it will be an add-on. In addition, a new boat construction yard is also under development in Thoppumpady,” the official said.