KTM 2016 to be inaugurated on World Tourism Day

Posted on 08 Sep 2016

The upcoming Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) 2016 is to be inaugurated on World Tourism Day, September 27. KTM is hoping to substantially augment its appeal by leveraging a unique Spice Route Culinary Festival to commemorate the shared legacy of the over 2,000-year-old maritime trade way.

As many as 551 tour operators from 57 countries and 1,379 domestic buyers from 20 States have registered for the ninth edition of the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM). Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the event.

Of the 57 countries, 10 are first-time participants. The event will be from September 28 to 30.

The biennial event will focus on Responsible Tourism (RT) and Muziris and Spice Route. As many as 10 RT products will be showcased for buyers. KTM 2016 is being organised by the Kerala Travel Mart Society in association with the Department of Tourism, which has provided Rs.2 crore.

The culinary festival, to be hosted by UNESCO, Kerala Tourism and the Union Tourism Ministry in Kochi from September 23-26, will witness leading chefs from 31 countries on the historic Spice Route converging on ‘God’s Own Country’ to discover the famed gastronomic delights of the state. The three-day event, to be held at the Samudrika and Sagara Convention Centre, Willingdon Island, will run till September 30.

The ninth edition of KTM, organised in partnership with the Department of Tourism, will also focus on ‘Responsible Tourism’. The KTM will be a platform for B2B networking, bringing together business entrepreneurs from Kerala that offer a range of various tourism products and services, including tour operators, hotels, resorts, home stays, houseboats, Ayurveda resorts and cultural art centres. It also facilitates their meetings and interactions with buyers from around the world. As many as 265 stalls for Kerala-based exhibitors will be featured at the venue.

The KTM is always looking to reach out to buyers from new international markets with focus on new arenas of tourism. With the Spice Route project encouraging modern-day travellers to retrace the pathways set down by pioneers, the influx of tourists drawn to the old-world charm of Kerala will undoubtedly increase.