Onam used to mean staying home for the feast. Not any more. Kerala's state transporter KSRTC has scheduled 350 temple-circuit trips this festive season, a 50% jump on last year, while tour operators report packed departures to Vietnam and Europe. The festival, once a quiet patch in the tourism calendar, is now the state's second-busiest travel window after the summer holidays.
The most popular KSRTC offering combines travel with ritual. Its budget pilgrimage package links five temples associated with the Pandavas across Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts, culminating in the Vallasadya — the grand ceremonial feast at Aranmula Sree Parthasarathy Temple. Travellers like Preetha Cheerambathel, 56, from Thrissur, organised a whole group of friends and relatives to finally experience the feast after missing out last year. Alongside perennial favourites Munnar and Gavi, the temple package has become one of the corporation's bestsellers, with services running until the Vallasadya concludes the following month. For a cash-strapped KSRTC, the Onam rush is welcome revenue.
The boom isn't only domestic. With schools on holiday and salaried workers pocketing festival bonuses, overseas packages are selling fast. Vietnam has overtaken the classic Singapore–Malaysia–Thailand circuit as the hot pick, thanks to rich experiences at low prices, while Europe continues to draw multiple group departures, according to veteran operator Benny Panikulangara.
Industry figures see bigger potential still. Kerala Travel Mart CEO K. Rajkumar argues Onam could become a distinct cultural tourism season, separate from the domestic and international seasons that kick off in October and November. His pitch: lock in the Champions Boat League schedule a year ahead so tour operators can sell it properly. The snake-boat races span 12 venues, opening with the Nehru Trophy in Alappuzha and closing with the President's Trophy in Kollam — a uniquely Keralan spectacle that could anchor festival-season itineraries for visitors from India and abroad.
Not everyone is flying this year, though. West Asia's conflict has pushed airfares to painful levels. Women-only tour organiser K. Amina cancelled her first Onam trip in nine years after Thailand tickets hit ₹45,000 — compared with just over ₹26,000 for Bali last Onam — and airline group-booking cancellations forced costly rebookings.
Why it matters for travellers: Onam (usually August–September) is quietly becoming the smart time to see Kerala at its most alive — temples at full tilt, boat races on the rivers, and budget transport options like the KSRTC packages making it accessible on a modest spend. Just book flights early if a Middle East conflict is inflating fares.
