Keralites’ to-do list during Onam now features leisure travel too
The Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC) is seeing a surge in demand for its budget tourism packages during the Onam festival season. While domestic temple tours are popular, there is also a growing trend among Keralites to travel to international destinations like Vietnam.
Why it matters
The shift in travel patterns reflects changing consumer behavior and the economic impact of the festive season on the regional tourism industry.
Preetha Cheerambathel, 56, wore the look of quiet contentment that comes from fulfilling a long-cherished wish as she stepped out after partaking in the famed Vallasadya — the grand ritual feast associated with Onam — at the Aranmula Sree Parthasarathy Temple in Pathanamthitta district, Kerala.
The feast was part of a budget pilgrimage package run by KSRTC, covering five temples linked to the mythical Pandavas across Pathanamthitta and Kottayam districts. Preetha and her husband Sidharthan from Punnayurkulam in Thrissur, had long wanted to experience the Vallasadya. Last year, however, they missed out as the nearest KSRTC depot at Ponnani did not operate a trip under the package.
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