Mumbai, October 5, 2026: Maharashtra has emerged as Kerala’s third-largest domestic tourism market outside the state, with 7.71 lakh tourist visits recorded in 2025, prompting Kerala Tourism to focus on the state as a key market for attracting more high-value and premium travellers.
Official Kerala Tourism data shows that 7,71,264 visitors from Maharashtra travelled to Kerala in 2025, accounting for 3.08% of the state’s total domestic tourist visits. Tamil Nadu remained the largest source market with 28.05 lakh visits, followed by Karnataka with 16.18 lakh.
The figures were discussed during an interaction with K. Biju, IAS, Secretary, Kerala Tourism Department, with the Free Press Journal (FPJ) part of a media delegation of journalists from Maharashtra and Goa on a Press Information Bureau-organised Kerala press tour.
Maharashtra Seen As Key Market
While Tamil Nadu and Karnataka benefit from geographical proximity, Kerala Tourism sees considerable scope to expand its presence in Maharashtra, particularly in major urban markets such as Mumbai and Pune. The state is looking to attract tourists interested in premium offerings such as Ayurveda, wellness, backwaters, eco-tourism and longer-stay holidays.
The gap with Kerala’s two biggest source markets is substantial. Maharashtra sent around 20.34 lakh fewer visitors than Tamil Nadu and 8.47 lakh fewer than Karnataka in 2025, indicating significant headroom for growth.
Biju said India needs to market its tourism potential more aggressively in international markets, noting that sustained global promotion requires greater resources from both the Centre and states.
Domestic Tourism Shows Strong Recovery
The push comes as Kerala’s domestic tourism has recovered strongly, while international tourism remains below pre-pandemic levels. The state recorded 2.51 crore domestic tourist visits in 2025, up 12.64% from 2024 and 36.3% above the 2019 level.
Foreign tourist visits, however, stood at 8,21,999 in 2025, still 30.91% below the 11,89,771 recorded in 2019. Kerala’s estimated total tourism receipts crossed Rs 50,700 crore in 2025, although foreign tourism receipts remained below the pre-Covid level.
Focus On Lesser-Known Destinations
The state is also seeking to spread tourist traffic beyond established destinations such as Munnar and Kochi by promoting lesser-known locations, particularly in northern Kerala and the Malabar region.
Munnar recorded the highest domestic tourist visits in 2025 at 30.18 lakh, followed by Kochi City with 29.95 lakh.
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For Kerala, Maharashtra’s large urban travel market offers an opportunity to grow its premium tourism segment, while for Maharashtra travellers, the state is positioning itself as a destination offering wellness, leisure, nature and longer-stay experiences.
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