KTM 2026 Puts Kerala's Artisans on the Trade Floor
The 13th Kerala Travel Mart ran from 24 to 27 September 2026 in Kochi. The Kerala Travel Mart Society organises the biennial mart, which the society has run since 2000. This edition moved registration and meeting scheduling onto new software and a mobile app.
The Raviz Builds Its Stand From Practitioners
The Raviz Hotels & Resorts built its stand from recyclable materials and filled the space with practitioners from across Kerala.
Prem Kamal, cluster director at The Raviz Hotels & Resorts, explained the choice. "Kerala's tourism offering to the world is not limited to beautiful landscapes and large resorts," he said. "It is also the stories of ordinary people and their extraordinary skills that have made these places what they are."
Kamal said the stand presented Kerala's flavours, heritage and the lives behind them. "Thousands of such people have helped establish Kerala's place on the global tourism map," he said. "We wanted to give visitors an opportunity to get to know some of them and their lives more closely."
Who Stood on the Stand
Mithayi Basheer of Kozhikode represents Malabar's traditional sweet-making. Ustad Nelson plays the clarinet. Tony C.S. practises Pulikali, the tiger dance. Purushu Mararikkulam works palm leaves into designs, toys and souvenirs. Palm-mat artisans came from Thazhava. Organic farmers brought their produce to the same floor.
Tourism Minister P. C. Vishnunadh spent time at the pavilion and met the artists, artisans and local entrepreneurs. The Responsible Tourism Mission of Kerala used its own KTM 2026 pavilion to present the state's art and craft forms.
The Trade Framework Around the Stand
The society lists 366 sellers and 25 delegates across sponsorship and government stalls. Trade coverage of the mart put the field at 400-odd exhibitors and sellers. Buyer registrations reached an all-time record of 2,360, split into 610 international buyers and 1,750 domestic buyers. Media registrations reached 117, from 60 international and 57 domestic outlets.
The inaugural function took place on 24 September at the Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty. Chief Minister V. D. Satheesan was chief guest. Tourism and Culture Minister P. C. Vishnunadh gave the presidential address.
Business sessions ran 25 to 27 September at the Samudrika and Sagara Convention Centres on Willingdon Island. Four panel discussions sat inside the programme. They covered inclusive and accessible tourism, the application of artificial intelligence in tourism, evolving customer expectations and social responsibility in tourism.
The mart opened to the public after 1:00 p.m. on 27 September. A valedictory function closed the programme at 4:30 p.m. Post-event tours ran from 28 September to 3 October across twelve routes. A pre-mart tour programme ran for invited foreign and domestic journalists.
The society describes KTM as the only travel mart in the world focused on a single state. The mart works with the support of Kerala Tourism.
The Wedding and MICE Conclave
A Wedding and MICE Conclave, organised by KTM in partnership with the State Tourism Department, concluded with two announcements. They were the upcoming formation of a Kerala Convention Promotion Bureau and a dedicated sector-specific policy.