Kerala prioritises sustainable infrastructure & global standards for next tourism phase
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Underscoring the state’s commitment to sustainable and eco-friendly tourism, Tourism Minister Biju said the government’s Tourism Policy, to be brought out next month, will give prominence to ecologically sustainable and cultural tourism initiatives.
Kerala is set to get a major thrust in the plan to develop quality infrastructure and ensuring barrier-free access to destinations for the next phase of tourism, according to Biju K, Secretary, Tourism, Government of Keralam.
Emphasising that it is vital to upgrade tourism destinations on par with global standards, Biju said barrier-free access to tourism, embracing effective marketing strategies and improved upkeep of assets by leveraging the service of curators and professionals are also important.
Biju made a presentation on the state’s unique tourism products and the scenic and iconic locales. Underscoring the state’s commitment to sustainable and eco-friendly tourism, Biju said the government’s Tourism Policy, to be brought out next month, will give prominence to ecologically sustainable and cultural tourism initiatives.
“We would also like to promote our culture along with events like Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), which is held every two years. An international art festival, KMB brings in people from all over the world. Over the years, KMB has become a major cultural event that showcases contemporary art, literature and dialogues with the world. It also contributes to cultural tourism,” he emphasised.
To commercialize heritage water sports, the state is scaling the Champions Boat League, a three-month water sports circuit across Kerala’s backwaters, alongside traditional events like the Nehru Trophy Boat Race, supported by dedicated visitor infrastructure.
Citing the upcoming Kerala Travel Mart (KTM 2026), scheduled for September 24–27 in Kochi, Biju framed the event as a core public-private partnership (PPP) mechanism. The collaborative framework enables private trade partners and state agencies to align on international B2B roadshows and domestic trade campaigns.
Elaborating on Keralam’s globally acclaimed Responsible Tourism initiative, Biju said around 50,000 families are connected to this tourism supply chain. “Women entrepreneurship and women empowerment are the important aspects of our tourism. Our best practices have bagged global recognitions like UNWTO award and Ulysses Award,” he said
The state is also expanding its footprint in the destination wedding segment. Strategic PPP land allocations in North Kerala, such as Bekal, featuring luxury inventory from operators like Taj and Lalit, are driving luxury traffic via air corridors in Mangaluru, alongside growing wedding and pilgrimage segments in South Kerala.
As per the statistics in 2025, Maharashtra stands third in the number of domestic tourists arrivals to Keralam while Tamil Nadu and Karnataka hold the first two positions respectively.
To prevent over-tourism in prime clusters like Munnar, Kovalam, and Varkala, the department is executing a capacity dispersal strategy. In the Munnar circuit, satellite locations such as Vattavada are being developed to redistribute visitor density and unlock new inventory.
state's infrastructure master plan prioritises peripheral parking hubs, last-mile transit connectivity, and regulatory-backed waste management systems to ensure sustainable urban planning across destination nodes.
As part of 'One State, One Destination' project, destinations in Kollam district will be developed, he said, adding promotion of new destinations will increase private investments and government will act as a catalyst by bringing in good infrastructure and new products.
