By Caroline Radhakrishnan
Travel Writer at Currylines.com
The drums erupt in a thunderous rhythm, the beats matching the electrifying atmosphere, while the clarion call of the Kombu (trumpet) fills the air, heralding the grand celebrations of the evening.
The Kathakali dancer flutters his eyes, beckoning with a tantalising come-hither gaze. Beside him, the Theyyam artiste is no less hypnotic. His face, painted in blazing reds and intricate patterns, seems to summon Kerala’s ancient spirits, while the gentler-looking King Maveli welcomes onlookers with a benevolent smile and open arms, embodying Kerala’s warm hospitality.
Every two years, the lure of Kerala brings together travel and tourism professionals, media personalities and passionate travellers from across the globe to Kerala Travel Mart, the biennial extravaganza held in the city of Kochi.
‘For a few blissful days, wars being fought in distant lands, borders that divide nations and differences of race, religion, community and caste seem to fade into the background.’. Within a little corner of Kochi, a microcosm of the outside world fleetingly comes into being, with people from various countries and cultures coming together in bonhomie and camaraderie, united by a shared passion for travel and tourism. It is almost as if this tiny space has been briefly insulated from the strife, turmoil and trauma of the world outside and has turned into a short lived yet veritable piece of paradise in God’s own country (as a very secular Kerala proudly calls itself), the way God surely intended it to be!
And that is the timeless magic of travel, with its ability to make strangers less strange, make borders feel quite seamless and remind us that despite all our differences, it is still possible to coexist in peace and harmony.
Kerala or Keralam as it has recently been renamed, is a narrow sliver of a state on the South West coast of India. Its small size, however, belies its boundless opportunities for exploration, encompassing a remarkable variety of landscapes that have always made it a tourist’s paradise, eminently justifying its tagline – God’s Own Country.
The Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) is a three-day specialised trade exhibition focused entirely on the tourism and hospitality business, which showcases and celebrates Kerala in all its pomp and glory.
Tourism plays a major role in boosting Kerala’s economy and hence there arose a need to have a mechanism to enable its promotion in the state. Thus, in the mid-90s, the Kerala Travel Mart Society was born, which was a cohesive network of members who hailed from various tourism based categories like hotels, resorts, tour operators, travel agents, houseboats, homestays, airlines, event companies, tourism associations and also the Kerala State Tourism Department.
The Society acts as the spokesman on behalf of Kerala’s tourism industry and apart from other activities related to promoting the cause, it also organises and conducts the biennial Kerala Travel Mart (KTM), which is one of the largest travel marts in India. Its main goal is to market Kerala by showcasing the products of its various members. The first of these marts was held in the year 2000.
Tour operators and media partners are invited, both from India and internationally. Pre- and post event Fam(iliarization) trips are arranged by the KTM for media as well as buyers and they are given an up close and personal interaction with the products and destinations that they will sell through their words and their travel companies, respectively.
The 13th edition of the KTM had its formal inaugural session and grand dinner on Sep 24th, 2026 at the capacious Lulu Bolgatty International Convention Centre that adjoins the Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty.
The program began with characteristic pomp, welcoming the guests at the entrance with traditional drumbeats and local dances. The grand opening ceremony commenced indoors with a majestic showcasing of the cultural essence of Kerala through a vibrantly curated tapestry of various local art forms like Kathakali, Mohiniattam, Mappila Kolkali, Theyyam, Pulikali, Kalaripayatu and other cultural displays.
The Chief Minister of Kerala, V D Satheesan, was the Chief Guest; the Tourism, Culture and Cinema Minister P C Vishnunadh was the presiding dignitary and the Cooperation and Excise Minister M Liju was the guest of honour. The dais was also graced by other dignitaries.
The very dynamic Chief Minister, who happily confessed to being a travel enthusiast and an avid trekker himself, delivered an inspiring speech with his vision for the future of Kerala’s tourism industry. His eloquence and warm, engaging demeanour kept the audience rapt as he took them through an exciting array of upcoming initiatives ranging from new cruise terminals and river cruises to an oceanarium, a maritime museum and several other ambitious ideas poised to transform the state’s tourism landscape.
The inaugural session was followed by the signature sumptuous and lavish dinner that is served at every KTM inauguration, with a section dedicated to showcasing the best of Kerala cuisine and also multi-cuisine options to suit the global community. The actual Travel Mart was formally declared open on Sep 25th at the Samudrika and Sagara Convention Centre and the day ended with a gala dinner hosted at the Le Meridien Kochi.
Visitors were greeted at the entrance of the Mart with glimpses of Kerala in various forms and were presented with interactive and immersive activities which included art forms like pottery, mural painting, mehndi, applying Kathakali makeup on themselves, weaving and so on.
As always, the three-day event showcased products through seller stalls, hosted seminars led by domestic and international industry experts, and facilitated meetings between hundreds of sellers and buyers, both International and Indian.
A distinct focus this time was on the application of AI in the tourism industry. Another novel feature of this edition was its comprehensive digital transformation, with all core operations, including user registration, seminars, and scheduling B2B meetings, executed through newly implemented software and a specialised mobile application.
The KTM has always grown bigger and better by the year and this edition naturally was celebrated as the largest so far in the mart’s history. KTM 2026 ended with a grand valedictory function on Sep 27th.