P C Vishnunadh and other officials inaugurate Kerala Travel Mart 2026 in Kochi (Photos: India and You/Masrat Nabi)
Kerala Chief Minister V D Satheesan inaugurated the 13th edition of Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) 2026 in Kochi on Thursday with more than 3,000 delegates in attendance, as Kerala seeks to expand its tourism business through new destinations, specialised tourism products and stronger international trade engagement.
The 13th edition of KTM, that is said to be the largest participation in the mart’s 25-year history, with 1,200 hosted and 300 non-hosted buyers. The event has 383 seller stalls representing tourism enterprises and 25 stalls from government institutions, with more than 45,000 business meetings scheduled between buyers and sellers.
Tourism industry officials at KTM, as the three-day event brings buyers and sellers together to explore new markets and business opportunities
In his inaugural address, Satheesan said Kerala recorded 821,999 foreign tourist visits in 2025, an increase of 11.33 pc over 2024.
V D Satheesan
“In 2025, Kerala recorded 8,21,999 foreign tourist visits, registering an increase of 11.33 pc over 2024. Domestic tourist visits reached 25.06 million, clocking a growth of 12.64 pc,” said Satheesan.
The state has set a target of attracting 5 million foreign tourist visits and 100 million domestic tourist visits over the next five years.
Satheesan said Kerala would develop its ecotourism offering through forest tourism, jungle lodges and trekking.
“We have to promote forest tourism, jungle lodges, trekking and similar verticals in a sustainable manner as Kerala’s unique features,” he added.
According to the Chief Minister, cruise tourism is another area being targetted for expansion. The government has approved a cruise terminal at Cochin Port, while another is planned in Kozhikode. The state also plans to expand cruise tourism to 44 rivers in a second phase.
Also Read: Foreign buyers impressed by quality of meetings at KTM 2024
“We have given the nod to Cochin Port to set up a cruise terminal and another one is on the anvil in Kozhikode. In the second phase, the cruise segment will be expanded to 44 rivers of Kerala,” said Satheesan.
KTM 2026 brings together 1,200 hosted and 300 non-hosted buyers for more than 45,000 business meetings
He also announced an international global convention centre near Kochi airport, along with plans for an international maritime museum and an oceanarium in Kochi.
In his speech, P C Vishnunadh, Tourism Minister, Kerala said the government would strengthen tourism infrastructure across 100 destinations to bring more areas into the tourism economy.
P C Vishnunadh
“We will strengthen tourism infrastructure across 100 destinations, enabling more parts of Kerala to benefit from tourism,” said Vishnunadh.
The state is also looking to develop experiential tourism through ‘Be a Malayali for a Day’ initiative, which will be launched during the next Onam season.
“During the next Onam season, we will launch ‘Be a Malayali for a Day’ initiative for tourists to experience Kerala by taking them through the traditional lifestyle and cuisine of Keralites,” he said.
Jose Pradeep, President, KTM Society, which organises KTM every two years, said in his speech that the mart has evolved into a platform for Kerala to present its tourism products to international markets.
Jose Pradeep
“Over the last 25 years, Kerala Travel Mart has evolved into much more than it is today. It has become the platform through which Kerala presents its tourism products to the world,” said Pradeep.
He said the participation of buyers from different markets would help create new business opportunities for the state’s tourism industry.
“We are pleased to host hundreds of carefully selected buyers from across the globe who will engage with their tourism counterparts in Kerala over the next three days. These interactions will create new partnerships, open new markets and generate more opportunities that will benefit tourism stakeholders across our state,” he said.
Hari Kishore, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, pointed to the gap between Kerala’s pre-pandemic and current foreign tourist numbers as an opportunity for the trade.
Hari Kishore
“Before the pandemic, we had about 1.1 million foreign tourists coming to Kerala and now it is 850,000. For all the foreign tour operators, it is a very low-hanging fruit. To reach the pre-pandemic level is an opportunity for all of us to bring more foreign tourists,” said Kishore.
He also highlighted the concentration of tourist traffic within a few districts and called for greater promotion of lesser-known destinations.
Also Read: Experts at KTM call for developing tourism in Kerala plantations
“When you analyse the data of Kerala’s domestic tourism visits, we can see that 54 pc of the domestic tourism visits are in three districts Thiruvananthapuram, Kochi and Idukki. And 73 pc of the foreigners are also coming to these districts,” he said.
“This means there is an immense opportunity. I request all of you to explore the unseen Kerala and the hidden gems of Kerala,” Kishore added.
The Sellers Directory was released at the event, highlighting Kerala’s tourism offerings and trade partners
Kishore also called for greater specialisation within Kerala’s tourism industry, pointing to segments such as weddings, medical value travel, MICE, golf and cruise tourism.
“Tourism is also like that. The time has come where there is an opportunity for specialisation,” he said.
He suggested that KTM could create smaller, specialised editions focussed on individual tourism segments.
M Liju
He also called for tourism experiences to become digitally discoverable and bookable, particularly as international travellers increasingly make bookings close to their travel dates.
“If all the festivals, tourism products and experiences of Kerala are available in a bookable online window, then we will not miss the opportunity,” said Kishore.
KTM 2026 has also introduced a new software system and mobile application, with registration, business meetings, seminars and other procedures fully digitised.
K Biju
M Liju, Cooperation and Excise Minister who was the Guest of Honour, assured the tourism industry that the government’s Excise Policy would not adversely affect tourism.
“The Excise Policy of the government won’t have anything detrimental to the tourism industry,” said Liju.
K Biju, Tourism Secretary, Kerala said tourism destinations in Kollam would be developed to global standards. M Anjana, Tourism Director, Kerala released the Sellers Directory at the event.
