Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan Inaugurates Kerala Travel Mart 2026

Kochi, Kerala, September 25, 2026 / TRAVELINDEX / The 13th edition of the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) got underway in Kochi on September 24, with Kerala Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan inaugurating the event at the Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty. The four-day gathering is billed as India’s flagship tourism and hospitality business platform, bringing together stakeholders from across the country and overseas.

Following the opening ceremony, the core business-to-business meetings and exhibition run from September 25 to 27 at the Sagara and Samudrika Convention Centres on Willingdon Island. Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas led the run-up to the event, which organisers expected would draw around 4,000 domestic and international buyers along with more than 2,000 sellers and service providers.

The scale of participation this year is notable. With 382 sellers, over 3,000 registered buyers, roughly 790 of them international, the Mart has lined up close to 40,000 scheduled B2B meetings — the largest turnout in KTM’s 25-year history. Tourism officials framed the numbers as a resilience story: the state has attracted 800 international and 2,250 domestic buyers despite ongoing global conflicts, according to Tourism Minister P.C. Vishnunadh.
Beyond deal-making, the Mart carries a policy dimension. The state government has announced plans to introduce 100 new tourist destinations over the next five years, adding 20 annually, with a push toward wellness, ayurveda, experiential tourism and cultural heritage sites. The four-day programme itself combines curated B2B meetings with policy discussions and sector-focused seminars, spanning leisure tourism, MICE (meetings, incentives, conferences and exhibitions), wellness tourism and destination weddings.

For visiting delegates and media, the experience extends past the convention floor. Post-event tours from September 28 to October 3 will take participants across twelve distinct geographic tracks to experience Kerala’s destinations and tourism products firsthand.

About Kerala Travel Mart
Held biennially since its founding, KTM has grown into one of India’s most significant tourism trade shows, positioning Kerala — long marketed as “God’s Own Country” — as a hub for cultural, leisure, wellness and experiential travel. The Kerala Travel Mart Society also unveiled a revamped website for the event this year, alongside an official promotional video for the 2026 edition.