Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru/Udupi
Mangaluru/Udupi, Dec 28: Tourism activity has picked up sharply in the twin coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi over the past couple of weeks, driven by a combination of Christmas celebrations, extended weekends, year-end holidays, the Sabarimala pilgrimage season, school vacation travel, the Paryaya festival in Udupi and Christmas holidays for educational institutions. This surge is expected to continue till mid-January, giving a major boost to the local economy and business activity.
With a series of holidays, tourists from various parts of the state and outside have been flocking to the coast and visiting prominent destinations. Since the first week of December, there has been a significant increase in the inflow of visitors from other districts and states. Several schools have long Christmas vacations, prompting families to plan trips. Many who returned home for Christmas with family and friends have also decided to stay back to celebrate the fourth weekend of December and the New Year locally.
Major religious centres such as Dharmasthala, Kukke Shri Subrahmanya, Kateel, Sri Krishna Matha, Kollur, Mangaladevi, Kudroli, Polali, Sauthadka, Bappanadu and Venur are witnessing heavy footfall. Tourist attractions including Maravanthe, Jamalabad Fort, Ermai, Didupe and Kadamgundi waterfalls, the Western Ghats and Matsyadhama have also seen a rise in visitors.
Beach tourism has shown a steady revival over the past few days. Beaches at Uchila Batapady, Someshwar, Ullal, Bengre, Tannirbhavi, Tannirbhavi Blue Flag Beach, Panambur, Chitrapura, Hosabettu, Iddya, Surathkal, Sasihithlu and Malpe are drawing large crowds. This year alone, over 80 lakh tourists have visited beaches in the region.
Passenger traffic on KSRTC buses to Mangaluru has also increased. For Christmas, more than 40 additional buses were operated to the city from various destinations. While the corporation usually earns around Rs 1.30 crore per day, revenue touched Rs 1.60 crore on December 25. Private bus operators, too, deployed additional services, further contributing to the rise in arrivals.
For the past week, hotels, service apartments, resorts and homestays across both districts have been fully occupied. Mangaluru alone has over 70 mid-range and budget accommodation facilities, all of which are booked for the year-end period. Beach resorts and homestays are also witnessing near-full occupancy.
The number of tourists visiting Dakshina Kannada has been steadily increasing year after year. In 2020, the district recorded 1,33,58,844 visitors, followed by 1,03,52,969 in 2021, 1,31,24,531 in 2022, 3,28,52,907 in 2023, 5,06,10,700 in 2024, and over 3 crore visitors in 2025 so far.
No untoward incidents have been reported in either district. Even otherwise, lakhs of people from other districts and states visit the region for healthcare and education. Along with this, religious centres continue to attract devotees based on long-held beliefs, further adding to tourist inflow.
Udupi district, in particular, is witnessing tourists everywhere. According to estimates by the tourism department, around one to 1.5 lakh people are arriving in the district every day. Devotees and tourists from other districts, states and even abroad are visiting Malpe Beach and Sri Krishna Matha in large numbers. Officials say that while December usually sees an increase in tourist arrivals, this year the numbers are higher than in recent years.
For the past week, Udupi district has been receiving over one lakh tourists daily on average, translating to 25 to 30 lakh visitors a month. Sources said that in November and December 2024, around 20 to 25 lakh tourists visited the district each month.
Most visitors to Udupi are heading to Sri Krishna Matha and Malpe Beach, which is just five to six km from the town and remains one of the most popular attractions. Tourists are also visiting Kollur Sri Mookambika Temple, Kapu Beach and other destinations.
Rise in foreign tourists
In addition to visitors from within the state and country, the number of foreign tourists has also gone up. Typically, the district receives more foreign visitors between September and January, and this season has seen a further increase. While some arrive for academic purposes, others visit for sightseeing or Ayurvedic treatment, officials said.
Udupi hosts the Paryaya festival once every two years, and several preparatory events are held in the run-up, drawing additional crowds.
Visitors arriving with families said they had come to see temples and beaches in Udupi. After darshan at Kollur, they visited Sri Krishna Matha and expressed happiness over the well-organised arrangements despite heavy rush, noting that the spiritual experience and scenic beaches added to their joy.