Although tourism in Kerala rebounded strongly after the catastrophic Wayanad landslides in 2024, with the State recording a historic surge of 2.5 crore domestic tourist arrivals in 2025, Wayanad continues to recover at a slower pace, attracting fewer visitors compared to the rest of the State.
For decades, the pristine charm of Idukki and Wayanad—two of the State’s most sought after hill destinations—has been irresistible to travellers. However, the landslides in Wayanad, which claimed around 300 lives, severely affected the tourism prospects of this popular spot.
Tourist arrivals in Wayanad fell to 12.88 lakh in 2024, down from a peak of 17.5 lakh in 2023. Even as Kerala registered its highest-ever tally of 2.5 crore domestic tourists in 2025, up from 2.22 crore in 2024, an increase of 12.46% and 36.3% higher than the pre-COVID-19 period, Wayanad has struggled to regain its earlier growth momentum.
A sustained tourism campaign launched by Kerala Tourism helped Wayanad record a moderate recovery, attracting 14.73 lakh domestic tourists in 2025. Nevertheless, this figure remains well below the 2023 level, even as most other destinations in the State posted robust growth. Among the districts, Idukki’s performance during this period deserves special mention. Bearing a close resemblance to Wayanad with mist-covered hills, lush spice plantations, thriving wildlife sanctuaries, and scenic waterfalls, Idukki has steadily increased its share of domestic tourists amid Wayanad’s setbacks.
Idukki, which recorded 36.63 lakh domestic visitors in 2023, saw the number rise to 38.3 lakh in 2024 and further to 46.79 lakh in 2025, the highest among Kerala’s 14 districts during the period. According to Sajeer Padikkal, president of the Malabar Tourism Council, although overall tourist inflow has risen substantially in recent years, Wayanad has yet to fully recover, primarily due to lingering memories of the landslides. At the same time, north Kerala as a whole has reported healthy growth, with a marked increase in tourist arrivals across its districts.
Mahamagham
For instance, the recently concluded Tirunavaya Mahamaghamin Malappuram significantly boosted the tourism potential of north Kerala, with accommodation facilities in the region fully booked during the festival period. Despite possible political undertones among the organisers, Mr. Padikkal described the event as a genuine game changer for regional tourism.
The budget tourism wing of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) alone operated around 120 special trips to Tirunavaya from various parts of the State in connection with the festival—the highest number of pilgrim tours it has conducted in recent times.
“Similarly, Theyyam festivals in north Kerala have renewed tourist interest, benefiting the hospitality sector across the Malabar region. As a result, the decline in Wayanad has been partially offset by rising guest numbers in other parts of Malabar,” he noted.
According to a senior Tourism department official, the impact of the landslides appear to have prompted a significant number of tourists in 2025 to choose Idukki over Wayanad. This shift is expected to be temporary, with growth trends across the State likely to stabilise and normalise, possibly within the year itself.
Published – February 18, 2026 07:35 pm IST
