Revealed at ATM Dubai: Kerala’s new tourism plans, featuring helicopter tours, K-Homes

Kerala aims to establish network of helipads for scenic rides, eyes more tourists from UAE

Last updated:
Ashwani Kumar, Chief Reporter
3 MIN READ
A snake boat on a river in Kerala. Apart from new initiatives, Kerala is attracting tourists with its wellness and medical tourism, natural beauty, lush greenery, backwaters, and rich cultural heritage.
A snake boat on a river in Kerala. Apart from new initiatives, Kerala is attracting tourists with its wellness and medical tourism, natural beauty, lush greenery, backwaters, and rich cultural heritage.
Rex Features

Dubai: The Kerala government plans to establish its own network of helipads to enhance connectivity between the state’s tourist destinations and make aerial travel more accessible, a top official said.
Speaking at the Arabian Travel Market (ATM) in Dubai, Sikha Surendran, Director of the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala, said the state’s new ‘heli-tourism’ policy could be a game-changer in attracting more visitors, especially from the UAE and beyond.

“We want to promote chopper services between tourist destinations,” Surendran told Gulf News.
“Currently, it’s mostly limited to a few hotels and resorts. Some five-star hotels have helipads.”

Network of services
With the new policy approved by the state cabinet in December 2024, Kerala aims to make such services accessible to everyone through developing new helipads and a network of chopper services connecting tourist destinations.
“We are planning to establish new helipads at tourist destinations. This will make travel easier and faster for tourists.”
She noted the policy will be implemented through a public-private partnership (PPP) model.
“We will establish helipads in partnership with private partners. We will also use our existing airports. The service will connect one destination to another,” Surendran said, noting that bookings will be available online through the Tourism Department’s official website.

Most number of hotels
Kerala welcomed more than 22 million tourists last year – a 21 per cent jump from the pre-pandemic period. But does the state have the infrastructure to support this growing demand?
According to the latest data from India’s Ministry of Tourism, Kerala has the highest number of star-rated hotels in the country, including three-, four-, and five-star categories. The state has 94 five-star hotels, surpassing Maharashtra (86) and Gujarat (76). It also boasts 420 four-star hotels – more than all other Indian states combined, and 607 three-star hotels, widening the gap further.
“All these hotels maintain strong occupancy rates. This shows the growing demand, and we are meeting it. We even have three five-star resorts within a single local body,” Surendran said.

Homestays, K-Homes
Additionally, the state is promoting homestays to give visitors a more authentic local experience.
“We have more than 10,000 homestays across the state, allowing tourists to experience local family life. Also, we offer serviced villas similar to Airbnb, and heritage homes under the Grihasthali initiative.”

The state has also launched the K-Homes project, which aims to convert vacant homes near key tourist destinations into visitor accommodations.

More foreign arrivals
In 2024, Kerala attracted 738,000 foreign tourists, registering double-digit year-on-year growth. Among these, about 127,000 were from the Gulf region. Oman led with 38,000 tourists, followed by the UAE with 24,000.

Surendran pointed out that the ATM is a valuable opportunity to promote Kerala’s dedicated Middle East campaign: ‘Yalla Kerala’.

“The Middle East is a major market for us. Many Arabs, including Emiratis and Omanis, are interested in wellness and medical tourism. They are also drawn to our greenery, natural beauty, backwaters, and rich cultural heritage. Kerala is just a four-hour flight away. It’s ideal even for a weekend getaway,” she said.

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