Arab tourists are set to play a defining role in the future growth of Kerala’s tourism sector, emerging as a key driver for Ayurveda, medical tourism, luxury travel and the souvenir industry, said Mr.P C Vishnunadh, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Cinema, Kerala, while addressing a press conference in Kochi ahead of Indo Arab Connect 2026.
The landmark tourism summit is jointly organised by the Association of Arab Tour Operators (AATO), the Indo-Arab Tourism & Hospitality Alliance, and Tourism India, in association with Kerala Tourism, the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL), and several tourism industry organisations. The event will be held at Crowne Plaza, Kochi, and is being positioned as one of the most significant tourism marketing initiatives for Kerala and India.
200 Arab Operators, Week-Long Kerala Tour
Around 200 tour operators from Saudi Arabia, Oman, UAE, Egypt, Jordan, Iran, Qatar, Kuwait, Bahrain and Iraq will take part in the Indo-Arab Tourism Trade Summit on August 31, followed by a Tourism Business Meeting on September 1, and a week-long tour of Kerala’s tourism circuits beginning September 2.
Mr.V D Satheesan Chief Minister of Kerala will inaugurate the summit at 6 PM on August 31, with Mr.Vishnunadh presiding. Guests of honour will include Mr.Suresh Gopi Union Minister of State for Tourism; Mr.K J George Karnataka Tourism Minister; Rajesh Kumar Tamil Nadu Tourism Minister; Mr.Rohan Khaunte Goa Tourism Minister; Mr.Kandula Durgesh Andhra Pradesh Tourism and Culture Minister; Mr.Jupally Krishna Rao; Telangana Tourism Minister and Mr.Suman Billa IAS Director General, Union Ministry of Tourism,. Diplomats from ten Arab countries and heads of tourism departments from several Indian states are also expected to attend.
Monsoon Season Turns Peak Season
Mr.Vishnunadh noted that soon after assuming office, the government had prioritised new marketing strategies built around Ayurveda and monsoon tourism. What was once considered Kerala’s off-season – June to September – has, through the sustained efforts of Arab tour operators, turned into a period of rising foreign arrivals.
Kerala welcomed over one lakh Arab tourists in 2025, and the current season, which began in late June, has already shown a strong response. Oman now ranks third among source markets for foreign tourists to Kerala, with experts predicting it will overtake the US and UK – who have held the top two positions for three decades – in the near future. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have also secured places among the top ten source markets.
Highest-Spending Travellers
Arab tourists are among the highest-spending travellers in the world, the Minister pointed out – averaging $3,000 a day on accommodation, food and shopping, compared to $550-$700 spent by traditional European visitors, a gap expected to significantly boost Kerala’s economy.
“Just as our Malayali workforce once drove the state’s foreign exchange earnings and social progress through employment in Arab countries, we are now seeing tourists from those very countries emerge as a keystone of our economic growth,” Vishnunath said, adding that the government would roll out dedicated schemes to market Kerala across Arab nations and support the tour operators driving this growth.
Off-Season Advantage
The Minister highlighted that the peak travel season for Gulf countries – Saudi Arabia, Oman, and the UAE – as well as Egypt, Jordan and Iran, all among Kerala’s top ten source markets, falls precisely during the state’s traditional off-season of June to September.
Rashid Kakkat, President, Association of Arab Tour Operators, said a rise in Arab arrivals – among the world’s top spenders on accommodation, food and shopping – would give a significant boost to Kerala’s economy. Despite ongoing tensions in the Middle East, he noted, Arab tourists continue to show strong interest in Kerala, with the season that began in late June already recording high growth.
Target: 3 Lakh Tourists, Rs. 25,000 Crore
Ravisankar K V, Chief Coordinator, Indo-Arab Tourism & Hospitality Alliance, and Managing Editor, Tourism India Media Group, said the summit is designed to give Arab tour operators – among the largest contributors to Kerala’s international tourism numbers – first-hand exposure to the state’s Ayurveda, medical tourism and luxury travel offerings. The initiative aims to attract three lakh Arab tourists in the near future and contribute over Rs. 25,000 crore to Kerala’s economy.
Dr. Jolly Antony, Chairman of the Indo-Arab Tourism & Hospitality Alliance, informed that the Arab tour operators will interact with around two hundred exhibitors, including various state tourism departments from India as well as luxury hotels, resorts, specialty hospitals, tour operators, airline and airport companies, and Ayurveda centers from different parts of the country. He also stated that over 500 tour operators, travel agents, and MICE travel agents from India will participate in the two-day summit, and from September 2 to 9, the Arab tour operators will visit major tourism centers across three regions of Kerala.
The press conference was also attended by Mr.Sharafuddin, President of the Indo Middle East Gulf Chamber of Commerce & Industry; Mr.Biji Eapen, National President of the IATA Agents Association; Dr. Fazal Rahman, Secretary of the Association of Arab Tour Operators; and Mr.Sujith Kumar, President of the Association of Medical Facilitators.
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