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Kerala Tourism Statistics for November 2026
Kerala recorded 25.88 million tourist visits in 2025, the most on record: 25.06 million domestic visits (+12.6%) and 821,999 foreign visits (+11.3%). Foreign visits were still 30.9% below the 1.19 million of 2019. Total earnings from tourism, including indirect effects, are estimated at ₹507.0 billion (₹50,702 crore) for 2025, 12.5% more than in 2024.
How many tourists visit Kerala, where they come from, where they go and what they spend. The figures are compiled from official statistics for the state of Kerala, and full sources are listed at the bottom of the page. Headline numbers are for 2025, the most recent full year; some sections use 2024, the latest year with that detail. Figures for India as a whole are on the India page.
Visitor numbers
Tourist visits to Kerala
Kerala recorded 25,880,365 tourist visits in 2025, 2,895,002 more than the 22,985,363 of 2024 and the highest total on record. Domestic visits rose 12.6% to 25,058,366, 36.3% above 2019. Foreign visits rose 11.3% to 821,999 but were 30.91% below the 1,189,771 of 2019. Kerala residents made 68.3% of domestic visits; Tamil Nadu (11.2%) and Karnataka (6.5%) were the largest other states of origin.
View data table
| Period | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2017 | 15.77m | |
| 2018 | 16.70m | |
| 2019 | 19.57m | pre-pandemic |
| 2020 | 5.33m | pandemic |
| 2021 | 7.60m | pandemic |
| 2022 | 19.21m | |
| 2023 | 22.52m | |
| 2024 | 22.99m | |
| 2025 | 25.88m | record |
Domestic plus foreign tourist visits. Visits are counted at the places where tourists stay, mostly from accommodation returns, so a tourist who stays in several districts is counted in each and the totals are larger than the number of people. Foreign visits by year: 1,091,870 in 2017, 1,189,771 in 2019, 60,487 in 2021, 649,057 in 2023, 738,374 in 2024 and 821,999 in 2025. No 2026 figures had been published in this series when the page was compiled.
Visitor spending
Earnings from tourism in Kerala
Total earnings from tourism in Kerala, direct and indirect, are estimated at ₹507.0 billion (₹50,702.34 crore) for 2025, 12.5% more than in 2024 and 12.6% above the ₹450.1 billion of 2019. Earnings from foreign tourists are estimated at ₹73.8 billion (₹7,382.02 crore), up 11.3% but still below the ₹102.7 billion of 2019. Figures are in nominal rupees.
View data table
| Period | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| 2015 | ₹266.9bn | |
| 2016 | ₹296.6bn | |
| 2017 | ₹333.8bn | |
| 2018 | ₹362.6bn | |
| 2019 | ₹450.1bn | pre-pandemic |
| 2020 | ₹113.4bn | pandemic |
| 2021 | ₹122.9bn | pandemic |
| 2022 | ₹351.7bn | |
| 2023 | ₹436.2bn | |
| 2024 | ₹450.5bn | |
| 2025 | ₹507.0bn |
Estimated total earnings from tourism, including indirect earnings, in billions of rupees at current prices (not adjusted for inflation). The state publishes them in crore: ₹45,053.61 crore in 2024 and ₹50,702.34 crore in 2025 (1 crore is 10 million). In 2024 direct earnings were ₹284.5 billion (₹28,446.78 crore) from domestic tourists and ₹66.3 billion (₹6,631.02 crore) from foreign tourists; no domestic split has been published for 2025. The 2025 foreign estimate rose by the same 11.33% as foreign visits.
Source markets
Where Kerala's foreign tourists come from
The United Kingdom was the largest source of foreign tourist visits to Kerala in 2025, with 122,137 visits or 14.9% of the total, followed by the United States (107,613). Oman moved up from sixth place to third after visits rose from 38,387 to 65,132. The top 11 countries made up 70.8% of foreign visits. Bars show 2025 visits; the muted figure is the 2024 total.
Foreign tourist visits by country of nationality, counted per visit. Canada (20,225), Italy (16,807), Israel (13,849), Singapore (13,297) and Russia (13,242) completed the top 15 in 2025. Visits from Israel roughly doubled from 6,822 in 2024.
Seasonality
When they visit
January was the busiest month in 2024 with 95,250 foreign visits, followed by February (94,028) and December (86,938). June was the quietest (30,205). Domestic visits peak at the end of the year: December 2024 had 2,351,454 domestic visits and March the fewest, 1,598,077.
View data table
| Period | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Jan | 95k | peak |
| Feb | 94k | |
| Mar | 63k | |
| Apr | 43k | |
| May | 32k | |
| Jun | 30k | lowest |
| Jul | 53k | |
| Aug | 56k | |
| Sep | 46k | |
| Oct | 59k | |
| Nov | 79k | |
| Dec | 87k |
Foreign tourist visits per month in 2024; the months add up to the annual 738,374. A monthly breakdown for 2025 has not been published. Domestic visits are spread more evenly through the year, with a second high in May (2,180,234 in 2024).
Destinations
Most visited destinations in Kerala
Munnar, in the hills of Idukki district, recorded 3.02 million domestic tourist visits in 2025, the most of any destination. Kochi City (3.00 million) and Thiruvananthapuram City (2.51 million) were next. Kochi City was the leading destination for foreign tourists by a wide margin, with 198,202 foreign visits, followed by Thekkady (79,736). Bars show domestic visits; the muted figure is foreign visits.
Tourist visits by destination in 2025, from the state's top 20 destination lists for domestic and foreign visits. Wayanad was not in the foreign top 20, so no foreign figure is shown. Kumarakom had 454,328 domestic and 63,394 foreign visits, and Fort Kochi, counted apart from Kochi City, had 35,014 foreign visits.
Accommodation
Hotels & occupancy
Kerala had 9,423 tourist accommodation units with 121,982 rooms on 31 August 2025. Idukki district had the most units (1,963), followed by Ernakulam (1,409); Kasaragod had the fewest (130). No occupancy rate for Kerala is published in these sources.
Economic impact
Tourism in Kerala's economy
Ernakulam district, which includes Kochi, received 276,096 foreign tourist visits in 2025, a third of the state total, ahead of Thiruvananthapuram (166,429) and Idukki (159,339). Idukki had the most domestic visits (4,679,800), followed by Ernakulam (4,429,891) and Thiruvananthapuram (4,375,846). Kerala received 3.25% of all foreign tourist visits recorded by Indian states and union territories in 2025.
District figures are tourist visits, counted where tourists stay. Kochi airport arrivals count foreign tourists entering India there, whatever their destination; Thiruvananthapuram airport had 124,472 and Kozhikode (Calicut) airport 42,406 in 2025. The 3.25% share is of 25.3 million foreign tourist visits to all states, in which a tourist who visits several states is counted in each.
At a glance
Fast facts
- 68.3% Share of domestic visits made by Kerala residents (2025)
- 14.9% Share of foreign visits from the United Kingdom (2025)
- 198,202 Foreign tourist visits to Kochi City (2025)
- 95,250 Foreign visits in January 2024, the busiest month
- -30.9% Foreign visits in 2025 compared with 2019
- 121,982 Rooms in tourist accommodation units (Aug 2025)
Questions
Frequently asked questions
How many tourists visit Kerala each year?
Kerala recorded 25.88 million tourist visits in 2025, the highest on record and 2.90 million more than in 2024. Of these, 25.06 million were domestic tourist visits (+12.6%) and 821,999 were foreign tourist visits (+11.3%). Visits are counted where tourists stay, so one tourist can be counted in more than one district.
How many foreign tourists visit Kerala?
Kerala recorded 821,999 foreign tourist visits in 2025, up 11.3% on the 738,374 of 2024. The total was still 30.9% below the 1,189,771 of 2019. Ernakulam district, which includes Kochi, received 276,096 of the 2025 visits.
Which country sends the most tourists to Kerala?
The United Kingdom, with 122,137 foreign tourist visits in 2025 (14.9% of the total), followed by the United States (107,613) and Oman (65,132). Germany, France, Malaysia and Australia were next. Among domestic tourists, 68.3% came from within Kerala and 11.2% from Tamil Nadu.
How much does Kerala earn from tourism?
Total earnings from tourism, direct and indirect, are estimated at ₹507.0 billion (₹50,702.34 crore) for 2025, 12.5% more than in 2024. Earnings from foreign tourists are estimated at ₹73.8 billion (₹7,382.02 crore). Figures are in nominal rupees.
What is the most visited place in Kerala?
Munnar had the most domestic tourist visits in 2025, 3.02 million, just ahead of Kochi City (3.00 million). For foreign tourists Kochi City was first with 198,202 visits, followed by Thekkady (79,736) and Thiruvananthapuram City (72,407). By district, Idukki had the most domestic visits (4.68 million).
When is the peak tourist season in Kerala?
For foreign tourists the busiest months are December to February. In 2024 January had the most foreign visits (95,250) and June the fewest (30,205). Domestic visits were highest in December 2024 (2,351,454).
Using these figures?
Cite this page
Journalists, researchers and bloggers are welcome to use the statistics on this page. Please credit Kerala Tourism Statistics and link to this page.
Kerala Tourism Statistics (2026). Visitors, spending and trends. Last reviewed 2 November 2026. https://www.globaltourismstatistics.com/kerala
<a href="https://www.globaltourismstatistics.com/kerala">Kerala Tourism Statistics</a> Notes & sources
Methodology & sources
This page compiles publicly available official statistics, mainly from the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala. The sources for every figure are listed below. Caveats:
- Full-year 2025 figures come from the Department of Tourism's Kerala Tourist Visits Statistics 2025, posted in May 2026, and the Minister for Tourism's press release of 16 February 2026. Monthly figures, the 2015 and 2016 earnings, the 2024 split of earnings and accommodation counts come from the Kerala State Planning Board's Economic Review 2025, which uses Department of Tourism data. No 2026 figures had been published in the Department's statistics series when this page was compiled.
- Domestic tourist visits (DTV) and foreign tourist visits (FTV) count stays at tourist destinations, compiled district by district, mostly from accommodation returns. A tourist who stays in more than one district is counted in each, so visits are not the number of people. Foreign visits differ from foreign tourist arrivals, which count entries into India at airports and land borders. The total of 25,880,365 visits for 2025 is the published figure; totals for earlier years in the chart are domestic plus foreign visits as published, and the 2023 and 2024 sums match the published totals.
- Earnings are Department of Tourism estimates of travel receipts in rupees crore, at current prices. The total includes indirect earnings; the foreign and domestic figures are direct earnings. The 2025 foreign estimate grew by exactly the same rate as foreign visits (11.33%). Rupee amounts are converted from crore to billions on this page (₹1 crore = ₹10 million). No US dollar figures are published.
- The 16 February 2026 press release gives domestic growth as 12.46% and district visits of 4,429,899 for Ernakulam and 3,124,696 for Thrissur; this page uses the statistics tables (12.64%, 4,429,891 and 3,114,696), whose district figures add up to the published total. The Ministry of Tourism's India Tourism Statistics 2026 lists 25,066,366 domestic visits for Kerala in 2025 (+12.67%), 8,000 more than the state's own figure; its foreign figure (821,999) is the same.
- No hotel occupancy rate, average length of stay or purpose-of-visit split for Kerala is published in these sources, so those sections are left out. Airport figures are from the Ministry of Tourism's table of foreign tourist arrivals by airport.
Primary sources
- Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala: Kerala Tourist Visits Statistics 2025 : Annual summary tables for 2025 (posted May 2026): domestic and foreign tourist visits 2017 to 2025, visits by district, top 15 foreign countries 2024 and 2025, domestic visits by state of origin, top 20 destinations, and estimated travel receipts in rupees crore 2017 to 2025.
- Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala: Press release, Kerala makes massive surge in tourist visits in 2025 : Statement by the Minister for Tourism giving 25,880,365 total tourist visits in 2025, an increase of 2,895,002 on 2024. Kozhikode, 16 Feb 2026.
- Kerala State Planning Board: Economic Review 2025, chapter 5.3 Tourism : Tourism chapter of the state economic review (January 2026): Kerala tourism at a glance 2023 and 2024, month-wise foreign and domestic tourist visits 2022 to 2024, total earnings from tourism 2015 to 2024, earnings from domestic tourists, and tourist accommodation units as on 31 Aug 2025. Data from the Department of Tourism.
- Ministry of Tourism, Government of India: India Tourism Statistics 2026 (India Tourism Data Compendium) : 67th edition, published 27 Sep 2026: foreign tourist arrivals through international airports 2025 (table 2.4.2) and state-wise domestic and foreign tourist visits 2024 and 2025 (table 4.1.2).