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KTM 2026 concludes, adds momentum to Keralam’s tourism sector bought to you by Travel Links

KTM 2026 concludes, adds momentum to Keralam’s tourism sector,·  58,000 business meetings held during four-day travel mart

The 13th edition of Kerala Travel Mart (KTM 2026) concluded here this evening, giving a major boost to the state’s tourism sector.

The four-day event featured extensive buyer-seller meetings that strengthened the tourism sector, along with focused discussions on live topics aimed at tapping emerging opportunities by positioning Keralam as a global experiential tourism destination with diverse offerings.
A total of 58,000 business-to-business (B2B) meetings were held during the four-day event. This included 45,000 pre-scheduled B2B meetings and around 13,000 additional meetings.

KTM 2026 took stock of both the opportunities and challenges presented by artificial intelligence in tourism. While AI is bringing significant changes to the sector, the event noted that delivering travel experiences that understand and respond to tourists’ customised needs still requires human interaction.

The event also highlighted Keralam’s continued leadership in Ayurveda and wellness tourism and other verticals where the state has made strides like adventure tourism.

Shri Sumit Kumar Thakur, Tourism Additional Director (General), inaugurated the valedictory session of KTM.

Former KTM President Shri E. M. Najeeb thanked the entire KTM team for the successful conduct of the event.

KTM President Shri Jose Pradeep presided over the session. S Padmavathy, Assistant Director, India Tourism, KTM Secretary Shri S. Swaminathan, former KTM Presidents Shri Baby Mathew, Shri Jose Dominic, Shri Riyas Ahmed and Shri Abraham George, KTM Joint Secretary Shri Jobin Joseph, Vice-President Shri C. Harikumar, Treasurer Shri Jibran Asif and CEO Shri Rajkumar S. were among those present.

KTM 2026 was inaugurated by Chief Minister Shri V. D. Satheesan on September 24, while the KTM Expo was inaugurated by Tourism Minister Shri P. C. Vishnunadh.

This edition of KTM was attended by more than 1,500 buyers from India and overseas, besides delegates representing different segments of tourism businesses.

The event recorded an all-time high participation of 380 international buyers and representatives from 59 countries.

The United States recorded the highest participation, with 38 representatives, followed by the UK with 35, Russia with 30 and the UAE with 23. Germany sent 18 representatives, France 17, while Malaysia and Spain had 15 each. South Africa had 14 representatives and Oman 13.

The participation, organisers said, reflects Kerala’s strong appeal in West Asian and European markets.

The B2B meetings and exhibition were held from September 25 to 27 at the Sagara and Samudrika Convention Centres on Wellington Island. The exhibition featured 383 stalls representing tourism enterprises and 25 stalls of government institutions, including Kerala Tourism, Tamil Nadu Tourism and India Tourism.

A series of seminars at the event deliberated on how changing traveller preferences, personalised services, artificial intelligence and consumer reviews are reshaping the hospitality and tourism sectors.

National and international experts who participated in seminars called for Kerala to develop more comprehensive and personalised travel experiences beyond its established backwater tourism and traditional attractions, in response to changing traveller expectations.

The exhibition was opened to the public free of charge on Sunday, the concluding day of KTM 2026.

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