The international participation was the highest ever recorded at KTM, with buyers and representatives from 59 countries
With 58,000 B2B meetings held over four days, Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) 2026 concluded in Kochi on Sunday, drawing more than 1,500 buyers, including 380 international buyers from 59 countries. Foreign delegates praised the event’s organisation, networking opportunities and business potential, as Kerala showcased new markets and tourism experiences.
According to the organisers, Kerala Travel Mart Society, the 13th edition of Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) saw 45,000 pre-scheduled B2B meetings and around 13,000 additional meetings during the event. The B2B sessions and exhibition were held from September 25 to 27 at the Sagara and Samudrika Convention Centres on Wellington Island.
The event, inaugurated by Kerala Chief Minister VD Satheesan on Thursday, brought together tourism enterprises, government institutions, international buyers and Indian trade representatives for meetings and discussions around changing traveller preferences, artificial intelligence, personalised services, consumer reviews and emerging tourism products.
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The international participation was the highest ever recorded at KTM, with buyers and representatives from 59 countries. The United States accounted for the largest delegation with 38 representatives, followed by the United Kingdom with 35, Russia with 30 and the United Arab Emirates with 23. Germany sent 18 representatives, France 17, Malaysia and Spain 15 each, South Africa 14 and Oman 13.
Jose Pradeep
For Kerala’s tourism industry, the market mix was also significant as the state looks beyond its traditional European and US markets towards the GCC and other emerging destinations.
Jose Pradeep, President of Kerala Travel Mart Society, says that KTM is placing greater emphasis on the GCC market while continuing to work with established markets in Europe and the US.
“We are pivoting our focus heavily toward the GCC market alongside our traditional European and US sectors, especially due to international conflicts affecting European travel. Markets like GCC, South Africa, Malaysia, and Singapore are showing immense interest,” Pradeep tells India & You.
Pradeep says that the effort is also centred on broadening the Kerala product beyond backwaters, houseboats and wellness.
“Beyond our iconic backwaters, houseboats, and wellness sector, we are introducing new experiential destinations like Kolukkumala, Meesapulimala, Vagamon, and Illikkal Kallu (Elaveezhapoonchira), offering authentic local village life, bullock cart rides, and responsible tourism,” he says.
Hari Kumar
He also pointed to infrastructure development as a factor that could influence how the state is packaged and sold to visitors.
The shift towards newer experiences was also reflected in the seminars and trade discussions at KTM, where participants examined how changing consumer expectations are affecting destination marketing and tourism businesses.
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National and international experts called for Kerala to develop more comprehensive and personalised travel experiences beyond its established backwater tourism and traditional attractions.
Hari C Kumar Vice-President, KTM Society says that the focus during the mart was not simply on the number of appointments but also on the quality of buyer-seller interactions.
“The meetings have been running like clockwork, everything has gone smoothly, with buyers genuinely eager to learn about and sell Kerala rather than just meeting for formality’s sake. Meeting quality-wise, this is one of the best KTMs we have ever had. We have over 400 international buyers, including more than 150 new participants alongside our longtime supporters,” Kumar tells India & You.
He says that interest was visible across established source markets as well as destinations in the Middle East.
“We have seen strong interest across our core markets like Canada, the UK, and Australia, as well as a notable surge from Middle Eastern countries like Oman. Overall, the feedback regarding the arrangements, venue, food, and networking opportunities has been overwhelmingly positive,” he says.
Huda Mahfouz
The exhibition featured 383 stalls representing tourism enterprises and 25 stalls of government institutions, including Kerala Tourism, Tamil Nadu Tourism and India Tourism.
The foreign buyer feedback at KTM also pointed to demand for new Kerala products and experiences.
Huda Mahfouz, General Manager at Israel-based Tourways Travel, attended KTM for the first time and says that the event helped her understand the destination and its tourism offerings.
“This is my first time attending KTM and visiting India, and it has been an amazing experience seeing how beautiful Kerala is. The business opportunities and meetings have been very useful, especially learning about highlights like the Alleppey backwaters, Munnar tea plantations, and authentic Ayurveda treatments,” Mahfouz tells India & You.
Pascaline Chaix
Mahfouz adds that she is definitely looking forward to promoting Kerala as a new destination and bringing more clients here to experience it first-hand.
For Pascaline Chaix of French travel company Le Monde en Rendez-vous, the KTM provided access to operators and experiences that could be evaluated for the French market.
“This year KTM is very professional, even more than before everything is well-situated, making it easy to navigate the stands, and I have met many interesting people showcasing new places to visit and new experiences,” Chaix tells India & You.
Chaix adds that the meetings and business opportunities have been very useful and her meetings also introduced her to Kerala’s homestays and experiential offerings.
“During this event, I met wonderful people from homestays as well as operators offering experiences in Wayanad, a destination I have wanted to visit for a long time and am thrilled to discover this time,” she says.
She also flagged an operational issue at the event. “The high noise level inside the event, which felt like being in a railway station, is something they should definitely improve. Everything else was absolutely perfect,” she says.
Gitta Mehrens of Germany-based Tour Consulting, Designer Tours, says that KTM helped her identify additional products for a market that already sends clients to Kerala.
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“My overall experience at KTM this year was very good and fun, with everyone being exceptionally friendly. The meetings and business opportunities were very useful, allowing me to learn new things and discover many interesting offerings. We already bring many clients to Kerala throughout the year, and I will definitely continue to bring more. Everything was so well-organised,” Mehrens tells India & You.
Juliana Teles
For Brazil, Kerala is being positioned as a newer destination, according to Juliana Teles, CEO of Egregores Events.
“This is my first time visiting India and attending KTM, and I have really enjoyed the experience. The quality of networking and suppliers especially DMCs and hotels has been outstanding, which is crucial as we work to introduce Kerala as an exciting new destination for the Brazilian market,” Teles tells India & You.
She says that the number of suppliers made it difficult for buyers to meet everyone during the available time.
“The meetings were incredibly useful, but because there are so many high-quality suppliers, it is almost impossible to meet everyone. For the next edition, I would love to see the event extended to three full days so we have enough time for all our appointments,” she says.
Yveline Josie McIntosh
Yveline Josie McIntosh of Sunjosie Travel, in New York City was also attending KTM and visiting Kerala for the first time.
“This is my very first time coming to Kerala and attending KTM, and the overall experience has been simply amazing grandiose and magnificent. From the opening night and presentation to the incredible organisation of the trade show, everything was executed wonderfully. The meetings and business opportunities with sellers were extremely useful, giving me a wealth of information to gather,” McIntosh tells India & You.
McIntosh adds that it has been a truly great event her and she is really looking forward to exploring more during the post-tour.
KTM 2026 closed with the organisers highlighting both the scale of business generated at the event and the need to diversify Kerala’s tourism proposition.
