Remya Mohan is a young woman who has been successfully working in tourism for several years. She leads groups around the Indian state of Kerala, but also groups of Indian tourists around Europe. I met her back in 2022 and we have been in touch ever since. We met again this year during the large and successful KTM 2026 tourism fair in Cochin.
We talked about the state of tourism in Kerala, what life is like and whether people are satisfied with the progress and changes brought by the global market.
1. You work in tourism and lead groups around Kerala, but also in Europe. What is life like in Kerala?
I think life in Kerala is a very interesting mix of tradition, modern life and outside influences.
One thing I would highlight, especially from my experience in tourism, is safety. We are now looking at tourism not only as women-friendly tourism, but more broadly as gender-inclusive tourism, where everyone should feel safe and comfortable. In Kerala, if you face an emergency or feel unsafe, you can call 112, and there are also Pink Police units that can come and assist you. As someone who leads groups, that kind of support is very important.
Another thing I find interesting about Kerala is that our culture is quite fluid. We don’t always stick to one way of doing things. Our clothes, food habits, ideas and even our lifestyles keep changing depending on what we find useful and what we can adapt to. I would say Kerala is a very adaptive society.
Of course, we also have our challenges. A lot of our young people go outside Kerala or abroad because they can find better-paying opportunities there. So, for many sectors and services here, we depend quite a lot on people coming from other parts of India. They have become an important part of everyday life in Kerala. If they were not there even for a day, many things would become difficult.
And although we cannot directly compare Kerala with Europe, there is definitely a historical connection. Kerala has had centuries of European influence, and you can still see reflections of that in our education, culture and even in the way people think. Today, because so many families have someone working or living abroad, people are constantly exposed to Western lifestyles and ideas.
But that doesn’t mean our infrastructure is at the same level as Europe. There is still a big difference there. So, for me, Kerala is this interesting combination — deeply rooted in its own culture, but at the same time constantly changing and adapting to the outside world.
2. The number of tourists from foreign countries is rising; does this impact the local population due to differences in customs, ideas, and clothing?
I don’t think the changes in clothing, food or ideas in Kerala are happening simply because of foreign tourists. It is a much longer process of cultural interaction.
Kerala is quite an educated and open society, and we give a lot of importance to personal choice. People generally don’t judge you too much for choosing something that is comfortable for you, especially when it suits our climate and lifestyle.
So today, you can see many different styles of clothing in Kerala. We don’t only see Western clothes. You can also see traditional clothes from different parts of India, because people travel, work and live here, and new trends come into society. Some choices are driven by fashion, some by comfort, and some simply come through interaction with other cultures.
I think that is what makes Kerala quite interesting. We are an adaptive society. We take what is comfortable or useful for us and make it part of our everyday life.
And this is not only because of tourism. It comes from a much wider cultural interaction — our long history of contact with different cultures, our education, and the large number of Malayalis who live and work outside Kerala and come back with new experiences.
So I would see it more as a cultural mix and an evolution of society, rather than foreign tourists influencing the way local people live.
3. Life in Kochi is not cheap. How much income does a family of four need for a comfortable life?
From my experience, for an average family of four living in Kochi, without owning a house and staying in a rented apartment, I would say around ₹60,000 a month is needed for a decent, reasonably comfortable life.
This would cover the rent, petrol and transportation, tuition fees, household expenses, insurance, and regular medical or hospital expenses. If both adults are working and earning around ₹30,000 each, they can manage a decent, average life. But there is not much left for savings or luxury.
4. Does it seem to you that Kerala — and India, too — is moving in the right direction in terms of progress?
Yes, definitely. I feel that Kerala, as well as India, is moving in the right direction.
In Kerala, especially in the last ten years, we have seen quite a lot of improvement in roads and infrastructure. From a tourism point of view also, I feel we are moving in a positive direction.
And it is not only about inbound tourism. After the pandemic, domestic tourism has grown a lot. When people were travelling less outside India, many of them started exploring different parts of our own country. That creates a good flow of money within the country. We can see more opportunities reaching villages and rural areas, and people working directly in tourism and other local activities are also earning from it. I think that is a very positive development, and it also supports more sustainable tourism.
At the same time, there are areas where we still need to improve. Our economy is still quite dependent on income coming from outside, especially from people working abroad. We also need to create more opportunities within the state and make it more investment- and entrepreneurship-friendly.
When I look at India as a whole, I definitely feel that we are moving in the right direction. Today, everybody knows India and we have a much stronger presence globally. Tourism and education are getting more importance, and travel is also becoming easier.
Most importantly, I feel we are slowly reaching a stage where, if people are willing to work and create something, there are opportunities to earn and build a better life. For me, that itself is a sign of progress.
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