Kerala's tourism sector registered modest growth in 2026, with domestic visitors rising by 10.47% compared to the same period last year. However, foreign arrivals grew only 8.3%, keeping them far below pre-pandemic levels. The slow recovery of international tourism is a matter of concern for the state.

Foreign tourist numbers recovered to 70% of their 2019 totals in 2025, but the growth rate for 2026 fell short of both 2025 and 2024 levels. In contrast, domestic tourism had accelerated in recent years – up 15.9% in 2023 and 12.64% in 2025 – before slowing to just 1.72% in 2024 due to the worst-ever landslide disaster in July, which claimed around 298 lives.

Most overseas visitors arrive via Dubai or Doha, where limited direct flights from India create a bottleneck. Arab tourists have seen a decline due to ongoing conflicts in West Asia. Tourism stakeholders are calling for aggressive global promotion and improved cleanliness standards to attract more international travelers.

The state anticipates an uptick during the current tourism season, which runs until March, but acknowledges that it will take several years before foreign numbers rebound to pre-pandemic levels.