Escalating war in West Asia dampens Vishu festival season in Kerala

Kerala is likely to witness a subdued Vishu festival season this year, with fewer tourist movement, family reunions, and vacation travels, as the fragile truce between Iran and the U.S.–Israel alliance appears to have collapsed. Meanwhile, with crude oil prices on the rise amid escalating tensions, Keralites are anxiously watching, fearing a ripple effect on the prices of essential commodities in the coming days, and an increasing shortage of LPG.

The precarious situation in West Asia, along with the election season in south India, including Kerala and Tamil Nadu, has worsened conditions for the travel and tourism industry. Although weekends are witnessing moderate domestic tourist movement across popular destinations, business is around 50% lower during weekdays compared to the last summer season, said Vinod Vattekkat, general manager of Clouds Valley Leisure Hotel in Munnar.