Airfares to Kochi & Thiruvananthapuram soar, domestic tourists look elsewhere

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state tourism department may have pulled out all the stops to attract domestic tourists through roadshows across the country, but for many domestic tourists, a holiday in Kerala during April and May may be too expensive to consider. The reasons: High airfares and limited flights.


Return airfares to Thiruvananthapuram and Kochi range from Rs 8,000 to Rs 20,000 from metro cities and Rs 14,000 to Rs 18,000 from tier-2 cities. A family of four may have to spend over Rs 35,000 on airfare alone, with accommodation and sightseeing pushing the total cost close to Rs 1 lakh. Though Kochi has better flight frequency, airfares remain comparable to those of Thiruvananthapuram. Despite the summer months being a lean travel season, airlines have kept fares at a higher slab. For the extended Easter weekend (travel on April 17), a return ticket from Delhi to T'puram costs between Rs 20,000 and Rs 40,000.

Airfares on Bengaluru sector high despite 12 daily flights
From Mumbai, fares range from Rs 14,000 to Rs 16,000; from Kolkata, Rs 18,000; from Jaipur, Rs 16,000 to Rs 22,000; from Ahmedabad, Rs 14,000; from Chennai, Rs 8,000 to Rs 14,000; and from Bengaluru, Rs 6,000 to Rs 26,000.

There are no direct flights from Jaipur, and only one flight from Kolkata and Ahmedabad. Airfares on the Bengaluru sector remain high despite 12 daily flights.

Similar is the range of airfare for travel in midMay, though the advance booking period is close to a month. Travel and tour op erators argue that fares are unreasonably high for a lean season and could discourage potential visitors.

Houseboat operators, who receive the highest number of domestic visitors from other states, and hoteliers in Kovalam say that bookings are duller compared to last year. M K Ajith Kumar of the India Tourism Forum said, “Domestic travellers will not spend more than Rs 1-2 lakh on a vacation. After a costbenefit analysis, many opt for international destinations such as Sri Lanka, Thailand, Malaysia, or Nepal, which offer better value for money. While premium travellers will still come to Kerala, this will not lead to a surge in demand.”

He said the state govt should engage with airlines to address the issue. “The state can also collaborate with other southern states to resolve such issues and jointly promote tourism,” Kumar added.

G Sudhiesh Kumar of the Kerala Hotels and Restaurants Association said bookings in Kovalam for April and May were lower than last year. “Arrivals may pick up after the Easter holidays. Airfare is a factor. Changing weather is another factor. The govt is making efforts to attract tourists,” he said.