KOCHI:
Eurasia Beauty Queen Yana Filippova is the Goodwill Ambassador for Russia for the upcoming Kerala Travel Mart 2018 (KTM) to be held in Kochi in September, which gives special emphasis to strengthen the partnership between the two countries in the revenue-generating sector.
This is in continuation of the summit meeting between Indian Prime Minister and the President of the Russian Federation last year to celebrate 2018 as the Year of Tourism in India and Russia. Yana Filippova has accepted the invitation of KTM to endorse the Country of Focus of the flagship tourism event, said Kerala Travel Mart Society President Baby Mathew at a press conference here last night.
Besides Yana Filippova, the goodwill ambassador of KTM 2018(Kerala Travel Mart) for Russia, KTM Secretary Jose Pradeep, KTM Treasurer G Gopinathan and former KTM president Abraham George also attended the press conference. Upping the glamour quotient with the presence of Filippova, KTM 2018 expects active participation of Russian buyers, travel writers and journalists. Along with other countries, Russia will be a big market for tourism industry in Kerala, Mathew said.
“With Yana Filippova being the Goodwill Ambassador, we expect more participation from Russia for the event. In fact, we are hoping for a record number of registrations this year. We can also expect more tourist arrivals from Russia to Kerala in the coming years,” Mathew said.
KTM 2018 will be inaugurated on September 27, coinciding with World Tourism Day, which will be followed by three days of business-to-business meetings. The showpiece event is being organised by KTM Society in partnership with Kerala Tourism, offering a platform to key players in the revenue-generating sector to forge business linkages and give an impetus to the entire gamut of tourism industry.
The pre-registration for the biggest tourism event in India has already evinced an overwhelming response with more than 800 domestic and 230 international buyers applying for participation till date. Registration will close on July 28.
“The business-to-business meets of the KTM offer a wide spectrum of opportunities. The event will be a perfect conduit for buyers and sellers to expand their business territories and attract potential buyers,” Mathew said.
The exhibition at KTM will have around 300 stalls featuring a range of products, packages and services offered by businesses and entrepreneurs. It offers a platform for stakeholders, including tour operators, hotels, resorts, home stays, houseboats, Ayurveda resorts and cultural art centres to have fruitful meetings and interactions with buyers from around the world.
The KTM Society has started implementing a comprehensive nine-point charter, ‘Agenda 9,’ which focuses on making Kerala a sustainable destination. It mainly calls for measures to tackle waste management, promote organic farming, efficient use of energy and extensive use of local produce and products.
Other key areas which will come up for deliberations are rainwater harvesting, reducing the use of plastics, and improving greenery.
