States » SouthPosted at: Sep 27 2026 8:55PM


KTM 2026 concludes with 58,000 B2B meetings

Kochi, Sep 27 (UNI) The 13th edition of Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) 2026 concluded here on Sunday, recording 58,000 business-to-business (B2B) meetings during the four-day event and providing fresh momentum to Kerala’s tourism industry.
The meetings included 45,000 pre-scheduled B2B interactions and around 13,000 additional meetings, bringing together buyers and sellers from across India and overseas and strengthening business linkages across various segments of the tourism sector.
The event also focused on emerging opportunities and challenges facing tourism, including the growing role of artificial intelligence (AI). Discussions noted that while AI is bringing significant changes to the sector, human interaction would remain important in creating travel experiences that understand and respond to the customised needs of tourists.
KTM 2026 also highlighted Kerala’s established leadership in Ayurveda and wellness tourism, along with emerging segments such as adventure tourism.
Tourism Additional Director (General) Sumit Kumar Thakur inaugurated the valedictory session. Former KTM President E. M. Najeeb thanked the KTM team for the successful conduct of the event.
KTM President Jose Pradeep presided over the session. S Padmavathy, Assistant Director, India Tourism, KTM Secretary S. Swaminathan, former KTM Presidents Baby Mathew, Jose Dominic, Riyas Ahmed and Abraham George, KTM Joint Secretary Jobin Joseph, Vice-President C. Harikumar, Treasurer Jibran Asif and CEO Rajkumar S. were among those present.
KTM 2026 was inaugurated by Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan on September 24, while Tourism Minister P. C. Vishnunadh inaugurated the KTM Expo.
More than 1,500 buyers from India and overseas, besides delegates representing various tourism business segments, attended the event. The edition recorded an all-time high participation of 380 international buyers and representatives from 59 countries.
The United States had 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, Malaysia and Spain 15 each, South Africa 14 and Oman 13.
The participation reflected Kerala’s strong appeal in West Asian and European markets, organisers said.
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.
Seminars held as part of KTM discussed changing traveller preferences, personalised services, artificial intelligence and consumer reviews and their impact on the hospitality and tourism sectors.
National and international experts called for developing more comprehensive and personalised travel experiences in Kerala 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.
UNI DS
Tags: #KTM 2026 concludes with 58#000 B2B meetings
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