Kerala Travel Mart Set to Surpass Past Records: Minister Riyas

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
The 12th edition of Kerala Travel Mart (KTM-2024), scheduled in Kochi from September 26 to 29, is all set to surpass past records going by the stakeholders’ response, including the turnout of domestic and international buyers, Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas said today.

Unveiling the salient features of the four-day biennial event at a press conference here, Riyas said KTM has made a mark over the last 24 years as a strong model of government-industry partnership, contributing significantly to Kerala tourism’s growth.

“KTM has over the years contributed significantly to market Kerala’s vast tourism potential in other states and abroad,” the Minister said.

While KTM is making hectic efforts to see the event a resounding success, Kerala Tourism is also mounting campaigns focusing on domestic and international markets, he said.

In the prevailing circumstances, these campaigns will also give prominence to Wayanad, devastated by the recent natural disaster. Though the calamity affected only a particular area, it has impacted the flow of tourists to other parts of the district. The campaigns will seek to market the whole of Kerala including Wayanad. The social media campaign with the catch word “Ente Keralam Ennum Sundaram” (My Kerala is ever beautiful) is part of this campaign, he said.

The government sees KTM as a path leading to the vision of turning Kerala into a ‘tourist state,’ he said.

E M Najeeb handed over KTM Society’s contribution to the Chief Minister’s Distress Relief Fund to the Tourism Minister on the occasion.

The Minister also launched the mobile app for KTM 2024 at the Press Meet. The App can be downloaded from Google Play Store for Android users as well as from Appstore for iOS users.

Tourism Secretary K Biju, Tourism Director Sikha Surendran, KTM Society President Jose Pradeep, KTM Society Secretary Swaminathan S, KTM Society past presidents E M Najeeb and Baby Mathew Somatheeram were present.

Organized by Kerala Travel Mart Society, KTM’s upcoming edition has already received a huge response from stakeholders. The domestic buyer registrations alone has crossed 2,035 for the first time in the history of Asia’s largest tourism event, doubling the hitherto-highest total of 1,305 in 2018.As for foreign buyers, the number is 808, from 76 countries.

KTM-2024 will be held at the Sagara-Samudrika Convention Centre in Willingdon Island. The event’s inaugural ceremony will be followed by three days of business sessions. The Expo will be open for the public on the last day (September 29).

Of the 808 foreign buyers from76 countries, 67 are from the UK, 60 from the Gulf and 55 from the US. While the buyers from Russia total 34, those from the rest of Europe have a figure of 245. There will be 41 buyers from Africa, while the others are from East Asia.

As for domestic buyers, Maharashtra (578) tops the list, followed by Delhi (340) and Gujarat (263).

There will be 344 stalls under eight categories at the event, which KTM Society is organizing with support from other agencies of the state as well as industry, besides assistance from the state Tourism Department.

The entire event is being considered as a “total digital revolution” as the organizers have come up with software that ensures the smooth conduct of B2B meetings. KTM 2024 will be organised by strictly adhering to the green protocol.

The run-up to KTM-2024 will see a pre-mart tour from September 22 to 26, involving media persons, vloggers and influencers. There will also be a five-day post-mart tour across Kerala from September 30 for select buyers of KTM-2024.

The 12th KTM will also accord special focus to Kerala as a wedding destination. Its abundant beaches, backwaters, forests, teagardens and lush greenery make God’s Own Country an ideal tourist destination. The state also is reputed for cultural and culinary richness besides strong infrastructure and transportation facilities.

Besides its emphasis on promoting Responsible Tourism, the event will strive to boost MICE (meetings, industries, conferences and exhibitions) tourism. In addition to hosting large events in metros such as Kochi, leisure destinations in Kerala are also equipped to host a variety of MICE events. The G20 working group’s meet at the scenic Kumarakom (near Kottayam) and Kovalam (south of Thiruvananthapuram) in March-April last year was an example of the state’s USP in this segment.

Cruise tourism is another area where the 12th edition of KTM is giving focus. Authorities are optimistic about roping in potential buyers from this segment as well.

The 11th KTM in 2022 facilitated more than 55,000 business interactions in its three days. The number of buyers stood at 1,134 (234 of them from abroad), while seller stalls totalled 302.