Kerala’s RT Initiatives to Get Major Facelift, Says Tourism Minister

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Minister for Culture, Cinema and Tourism P C Vishnunadh today said the state government has plans to elevate Kerala’s globally-acclaimed Responsible Tourism initiatives to the next level of growth.

Vishnunadh said to achieve this mission, the state needs to upgrade its quality hospitality while following responsible and sustainable tourism practices.

The Minister was speaking after inaugurating the second edition of South India’s prestigious travel and trade event Global Travel Market (GTM 2026) along with Metro Expedition-GTM Tourism Awards 2026 ceremony at The Leela Kovalam here. Mayor of Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation V V Rajesh presided over the function.

The B2B travel and trade exhibition is 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.

Emphasizing importance of a robust cooperation between the public and private sector for the growth of tourism, Vishnunadh said the upcoming state budget will give due prominence to tourism sector and the government will actively consider the long-pending demand of declaring tourism as an industry.

Vishnunadh also gave away Metro Expedition-GTM Tourism Awards 2026 on the occasion. Minister for Tourism and Culture, Andhra Pradesh, Kandula Durgesh, received the Best Tourism Promotion State Award for Andhra Pradesh Tourism from the Minister. Andhra Pradesh won the award for the state’s outstanding achievements in tourism promotion, destination branding, cultural heritage preservation, and excellence in advancing the tourism sector.

Rajasekharan Nair, Chairman & MD, UDS Hotels and Resorts, received Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his outstanding contributions, visionary leadership, and lifelong dedication to the hospitality and tourism industry in India. The Leela Raviz Kovalam won the maiden award in Excellence in Luxury Hospitality category while Kerala Financial Corporation (KFC) got the award in Excellence in Financial Services for Tourism & Hospitality Development category.

Vishnunadh also unveiled the new edition of Metro Expedition magazine by handing over it to Durgesh. V Muraleedharan, MLA, released the GTM directory by handing over it to Ajay Jain, Special Chief Secretary, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh.

Siji Nair, CEO, GTM, welcomed the gathering. SN Reghuchandran Nair, President, TCCI; M R Narayanan, President, SKHF; Sisupalan Sagara, Vice President, SKHF; Prasad Manjali, Secretary, SKHF; EM Najeeb, President, CKTI, and Baby Mathew, Somatheeram Ayurveda Group, were also present.

Minister for Transport C P John inaugurated the B2B meet of three-day GTM 2026 on Wednesday (June 3). Being held in multiple venues of the state capital and suburbs, the event is envisaged asa platform for exhibitors and buyers to build business partnerships with key global players in the travel and tourism industry.

More than1000 tour operators from the country and abroad showcased unique tourism productsat Global Travel Mart Expo 2026 that opened today as part of GTM 2026 at Golden Palace Convention Centre near Amaravila at Neyyattinkara here.

Over 1000 domestic and international buyers and 300 corporate buyers are participating in the expo to generate new sales leads, launch new products, network with key decision-makers, increase brand awareness, and gather market intelligence.

The three-day event showcases a string of tourism circuits by connecting the major tourism centres of South Kerala. It will also feature a project to introduce Ayurveda to global tour operators.

At the expo, more than 200 stalls showcase innovative tourism products, and leading experts from the travel and tourism industry will be addressing sessions on various topics. Corporate networking sessions with participation by company representatives will also be held.

The expo is open to the public on June 5.