Monsoon losing its charm among foreign tourists

When domestic tourist arrivals showed 37% growth in Q3 this year from 2016 figures, only 6% more foreign tourists visited the state
A photo of the Vembanad Lake in Kerala (Photo | Kerala Tourism/ Twitter)
A photo of the Vembanad Lake in Kerala (Photo | Kerala Tourism/ Twitter)

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:  Monsoon tourism has been throwing open a new vista for holidayers in ‘God’s Own Country’ for quite some time with the hospitality sector here packaging the scenic charm of its land, including alluring backwaters, hills kissing clouds, valleys, forests and beaches. However, the drama of monsoon clouds and wild dance of rain ranging from drizzle to downpour literally poured cold water on the prospects of tourism sector in the last two years.

But all is not lost if statistics of tourist arrivals in the state in the third quarter, which constitutes the monsoon months, in the past four years are any indication. The figures have revealed that domestic and foreign tourist arrivals in the state have bounced back with a growth of 24.47 per cent and 25.77 per cent, respectively, in the months of July, August and September this year. However, considering the worst dip in tourist arrivals in 2018, this growth does not reflect the actual reality in the sector. 

When comparing the 2019 Q3 figures with the same period in 2017 and 2016, the picture is more clear. Domestic tourist arrivals have been showing an impressive growth riding high on the monsoon tourism campaign, but foreign tourist arrivals are not in tune with the growth in the past. When 30.85 lakh domestic tourists visited the state in 2016, 42.19 lakh people from across the country visited this year, despite north Kerala witnessing heavy rain and calamities. 

However, when 2.03 lakh foreign tourists arrived in the state in 2016 monsoon, their number rose to merely 2.15 lakh this year. In short, when domestic tourist arrivals showed a growth of 37 per cent during the four-year period, the growth of foreign tourist arrivals is less than 6 per cent.  According to tourism department officials, the data is revealing a changing trend in tourist arrivals in the state, especially foreign tourists. 

When destinations such as Kochi, Alappuzha and Munnar have been showing an impressive performance, Thiruvananthapuram, a major attraction in the 1990s, is losing its charm for foreign tourists. While 23,531 foreign tourists visited Thiruvananthapuram in 2017 monsoon, the number declined to just 14,444 this year, despite the state capital not being affected by the back-to-back floods in 2018 and 2019. 

This poor performance of the capital is the main reason for the slow growth of foreign tourist arrivals in the state. Poor connectivity (by air) to Thiruvananthapuram and emergence of Kochi as a major destination, which is the gateway to Kerala now, along with its proximity to Alappuzha and Munnar contributed to the downward spiral of the capital, tourism officials said.  Further, destinations like Kovalam are not as popular now as they used to be among foreign tourists owing to various reasons including poor upkeep of the places. 

Downward spiral for capital
When destinations such as Kochi, Alappuzha and Munnar have been showing an impressive performance, Thiruvananthapuram, a major attraction in the 1990s, is losing its charm for foreigners

Monsoon Tourism 
(July, August, September)
Year     Domestic     Growth     Foreign    Growth
    (in lakhs)        (in lakhs
)
 
2019     42.19    24.47%    2.15    25.77%
2018    32.9    -3.4%    1.73    -13.90%
2017    34.09    10.97%    2.09    2.12%
2016    30.85    7.84%    2.03    8.93%

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