States » SouthPosted at: Sep 27 2026 9:11PM


AI can personalise tourism, reshape destination management: Panelists at KTM 2026

Kochi, Sep 27 (UNI) Artificial Intelligence (AI) can help personalise travel experiences, promote lesser-known destinations and transform destination management and tourism marketing, speakers at a panel discussion on the future of tourism said here on Sunday.
The discussion on “Digital Agenda and AI to Redesign Tourism” was held as part of Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) 2026 and World Tourism Day programmes on the concluding day of the three-day event.
APM Mohammed Haneesh, Additional Chief Secretary, Industries Department, said tour operators need to reinvent their offerings in tune with global market trends as travellers increasingly seek unique and personalised experiences.
He stressed the need to maintain a clear distinction between personalisation and privacy, cautioning against unnecessary sharing of sensitive personal information.
Anish Kumar, CEO of The Travel Planners, said tourism businesses should optimise their content and digital presence for large language models (LLMs), besides using AI tools and social media for marketing.
AI also has considerable potential in destination management, including crowd management during peak tourist seasons in destinations such as Munnar and Wayanad, he said.
Soorajith Radhakrishnan, Secretary, Wayanad Tourism Organisation, cautioned against allowing AI to dominate the tourism experience, while noting that the technology could play an important role in destination management and heritage conservation.
AI could, for instance, help regulate visitor access to museums housing rare artefacts and thereby minimise the risk of damage, he said.
Digital evangelist Sarath V. Raj said AI was transforming the way businesses operate and described the present phase as an “agentic AI era”, requiring the tourism industry to adapt to and optimise for emerging AI-driven systems.
The application of AI in tourism also needs to be addressed at the policy level, while the technology has the potential to enable mass personalisation of travel experiences, he said.
KTM President Jose Pradeep, immediate past president Baby Mathew and past presidents Abraham George and E. M. Najeeb presented mementos to the panellists.
A seminar on “Muziris as a World Tourism Heritage Destination” was also held as part of KTM 2026.
UNI DS
Tags: #AI can personalise tourism# reshape destination management: Panelists at KTM 2026
More News

Hyd: GITAM Innovation Challenge 2026 invites applications from students across India; offers over Rs 50 lakh in cash prizes and support

27 Sep 2026 | 10:00 PM

Hyderabad, Sept 27 (UNI) GITAM Innovation Challenge 2026, a national student pitching competition, is offering more than Rs. 50 lakh in combined cash prizes and entrepreneurship support, inviting students from across India to showcase innovative ideas and early-stage ventures.

see more..

Hyd: Heartfulness Trust, MDNIY sign five-year MoU to promote Yoga globally

27 Sep 2026 | 9:50 PM

Hyderabad, Sep 27 (UNI) The Heartfulness Educational Trust (HET) and the Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) on Sunday signed a five-year Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) at Kanha Shanti Vanam near Hyderabad to promote Yoga education, research, wellness and outreach programmes in India and abroad.

see more..

Lipika Singh Darai: ‘The director doesn’t make the film; everyone makes the film’

27 Sep 2026 | 9:43 PM

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 27 (UNI) Filmmaker Lipika Singh Darai and editor Irene Dhar Malik shared insights into filmmaking, creative ownership, independent cinema and the evolving role of women in the industry at an ‘In Conversation’ session held as part of the 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) here on Saturday.

see more..

Language-based alienation, artistic freedom discussed at IDSFFK

27 Sep 2026 | 9:41 PM

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 27 (UNI) Language-based discrimination, identity crisis and concerns over freedom of artistic expression came under discussion at an interactive ‘Meet the Directors’ session held as part of the 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) here.

see more..

65 films to be screened on fourth day of IDSFFK

27 Sep 2026 | 9:37 PM

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 27 (UNI) As many as 65 films, including newly approved entries, will be screened in different sections on the fourth day of the 18th International Documentary and Short Film Festival of Kerala (IDSFFK) here on Monday.

see more..