Kerala Tourism in high hopes for its Look East campaign after decision to restore Chinese tourist visas

The Union government’s decision to issue tourist visas to Chinese nationals after a break of five years comes as music to the ears of the State as Kerala Tourism had been looking to tap into the potential of the Chinese market through the Look East campaign.

Kerala Tourism had kicked off the Look East campaign to woo tourists from eight East Asian countries, including China, in April this year. As part of the campaign, a 90-member delegation from eight countries, including social media influencers and 40 outbound tour operators from China, Japan, Malaysia, Australia, Indonesia, New Zealand, Vietnam, and Laos, visited the State. The campaign helped in increasing tourist arrivals from especially Malaysia and Singapore as there is direct flight connectivity between Kerala and these countries.

The absence of issuing tourist visas to Chinese nationals was a dissuading factor for Kerala to tap into the Chinese market, despite the country being the world’s largest outbound travel market in Asia. The marketing campaign has also not earmarked any specific amount for the China campaign, said a source in the Tourism department. The marketing budget for Kerala Tourism for this year was mainly for European and Arab market campaigns, apart from the Look East campaign.

In next fiscal

This year’s budget and campaigns were finalised, and a targeted campaign for China could be undertaken only in the next fiscal. In addition, the situation has to be assessed well before strategising a dedicated China campaign as the ties between China and India have weathered ups and downs in the past. Nonetheless, China is an enticing market for Kerala, as 3,39,442 Chinese nationals visited India in 2019, as per the statistics of the Ministry of Tourism, although the number nosedived to 39,586 in 2020, 3,502 in 2021 and 11,762 in 2022 following the COVID-19 outbreak and the frozen ties between India and China in the wake of the military standoff at the Line of Actual Control and Galwan clashes in 2020.

In 2019, as many as 11,778 Chinese tourists visited Kerala, an up of 22.31% compared to 9,630 tourists in 2018. According to James Kodianthara, former chairperson of the Kerala chapter of the Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO), Chinese tourists visiting the country were mainly looking for the Golden Triangle tour package, a popular tourist circuit connecting Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur, and the northeastern States.

Though the issuance of visas started on July 24, direct flight connectivity is yet to be restored, which is vital for increasing the tourist arrivals and cultural exchange, said Mr. Kodianthara. Also, China is a promising market for Kerala, and getting a pie in the Chinese market will benefit Kerala Tourism in a big way, he added.

Published – July 25, 2025 07:20 pm IST

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