GTM 2026 Clocks Over 60,000 B2B Meets, Imparts Momentum to Kerala Tourism

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
More than 60,000 business-to-business (B2B) meetings were facilitated by the second edition of South India’s prestigious travel and trade event Global Travel Market (GTM 2026), as the three-day concluded here last evening.

The meetings were arranged through appointment-based networking system facilitated by GTM 2026. Around 2,000 domestic buyers and 100 international buyers participated in the mart, which featured 228 stalls representing leading tourism and hospitality stakeholders from across India.

The event, the first major convergence of tourism sector stakeholders after the present government assumed office in the state, elicited an overwhelming response from stakeholders, imparting an added momentum to Kerala Tourism.

The B2B travel and trade exhibition was organised by South Kerala Hoteliers Forum (SKHF), Thiruvananthapuram Chamber of Commerce and Industries (TCCI), Thavass Ventures, and Metro Mart, in association with Kerala Tourism and India Tourism.

Minister for Tourism and Culture P C Vishnunadh inaugurated GTM 2026 while Transport Minister C P John opened the B2B meet. Metro Expedition-GTM Tourism Awards 2026 were also presented during the inaugural ceremony.

Andhra Pradesh was bestowed with the prestigious Best Tourism Promotion State award during the event. Andhra Pradesh Tourism Minister Kandula Durgesh received the award.

Suman Billa, Additional Secretary and Director General, India Tourism, Government of India; Biju K, Secretary, Kerala Tourism, and Anjana M, Director, Kerala Tourism, also attended GTM 2026.

The next edition of GTM will be hosted in Andhra Pradesh, informed the organisers.

Hosted in multiple venues of the state capital and suburbs, the event served as a platform for exhibitors and buyers to build business partnerships with key global players in the travel and tourism industry.

The two-day international travel trade networking sessions and B2B meetings as part of the event were held at Golden Palace Convention Centre, Neyyattinkara, in the district.

The meet showcased unique tourism circuits of south Kerala along with the state’s time-tested assets before a large gathering of buyers and sellers from India and abroad.

Siji Nair, CEO, GTM, said GTM 2026 created a new benchmark in South India’s travel trade sector by facilitating over 60,000 B2B meetings, which were held by leveraging appointment-based networking system.

“The event attracted a record number of buyers from across the globe as well as from various Indian states. The inaugural edition of GTM had recorded around 38,000 B2B meetings. So, this edition marks a significant milestone in the number of B2B sessions,” he noted.

“GTM 2026 turned out to be a powerful platform for networking, partnerships, investments, and tourism promotion. Investors and hospitality entrepreneurs from various Indian states explored expansion opportunities in the South Indian tourism and hospitality market during the event,” Nair added.

The event had active participation from tour operators, hoteliers, destination management companies, tourism boards, hospitality brands, and investors.