Visits since 1 Apr 2024
6,175,355
Visits since 1 Jan 2007 48,036,944
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Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) 2024, held from September 26 to 29 in Kochi, marked its 12th edition with historic achievements, further establishing Kerala as a leader in tourism. The Chief Minister Shri Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the four-day event, emphasizing Kerala’s strategic push to become a global wellness tourism hub. The state's unique climate, world-class healthcare and peaceful secular culture provide a perfect foundation for this vision, aligning it with global trends in wellness tourism.
The event also saw the announcement of an Incubation and Innovation Centre to support budding tourism entrepreneurs. This initiative, introduced by the Shri P. A. Mohamed Riyas, Minister, Kerala Tourism, aims to foster creativity and resilience in the sector, which has already seen a robust recovery, post-pandemic. In 2023, Kerala saw a 15.92% increase in domestic tourist arrivals, reaching 2.18 crores, along with a surge in foreign tourists. The state’s infrastructure, including four international airports and improved connectivity through national highways, is set to further boost its tourism potential.
KTM 2024 saw a record 2,839 buyers from 76 countries, including 808 foreign delegates, with the largest contingents from the UK, the Gulf countries and the US. This edition featured over 75,000 B2B meetings, surpassing the previous record of 55,000 in 2022. The event’s green protocols, including a paperless app for scheduling meetings, underscored Kerala’s commitment to sustainable tourism. Buyers and sellers used a user-friendly mobile app with QR code scanning, to conduct meetings, and this facility contributed to streamlining the entire process.
The key focus areas for KTM 2024 included promoting Kerala as a premier destination for MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions) tourism, wedding tourism and honeymoon packages. Tourism experts at the event highlighted Kerala’s potential as a top wedding destination, thanks to its scenic landscapes and world-class facilities. Additionally, the event celebrated Kerala’s success in Responsible Tourism (RT), with the state winning national awards for the Best RT Village (Kadalundi) and the Best Agri-tourism Village (Kumarakom).
The expo at the Sagara-Samudrika Convention Centre showcased Kerala's rich cultural heritage, including a pavilion dedicated to "Kerala Festival Destination," which featured replicas of traditional festival elements like the Thrissur Pooram elephant procession. The pavilion invited tourists to experience Kerala's age-old festivals and celebrations, further promoting the state’s cultural tourism.
KTM 2024 concluded with a renewed sense of resilience and innovation, as the state continues to emerge as a top global tourism destination, blending sustainability, culture and cutting-edge technology to enhance visitor experiences.
