Kerala Travel Mart 2026 Draws Record Buyer Participation as Experiential and Responsible Tourism Take Centre Stage
KOCHI: Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) 2026 has opened in Kochi with its largest buyer participation to date, bringing the state’s tourism businesses face-to-face with a substantial international and domestic travel-trade audience.
The 13th edition of the biennial mart is being held from September 24 to 27, 2026, with the inaugural function at Grand Hyatt Kochi Bolgatty and the principal B2B business sessions at the Sagara and Samudrika Convention Centres on Willingdon Island.
According to figures released ahead of and during the event, 800 international buyers and 2,250 domestic buyers have registered for KTM 2026. Trade reports describe the participation as a record for the event’s 25-year history.
The scale of participation reinforces KTM’s role as a specialist marketplace connecting Kerala’s hotels, resorts, tour operators, DMCs, houseboats, homestays, wellness operators and other tourism enterprises with buyers from India and overseas.
From sightseeing packages to experience-led products
One of the clearest themes emerging from KTM 2026 is the increasing importance of experience-led tourism.
The official KTM programme identifies experiential travel alongside leisure and culture, wellness and Ayurveda, responsible tourism and adventure as key areas of the 2026 edition.
For Kerala’s travel trade, this represents an evolution beyond conventional destination itineraries. Backwaters, beaches and hill stations remain core products, but buyers are increasingly able to combine them with local culture, food, nature, wellness, community encounters and specialised activities.
This gives DMCs and tour operators greater scope to develop itineraries around the quality and depth of an experience, rather than simply the number of attractions covered.
Wellness and Ayurveda remain central to Kerala’s proposition
Wellness is another major pillar of KTM 2026.
Kerala has long positioned Ayurveda, yoga and holistic wellness as important components of its international tourism proposition. KTM’s official 2026 platform specifically highlights wellness and Ayurveda among the destination’s priority tourism segments.
The opportunity for the travel trade lies in integrating wellness into broader journeys rather than treating it only as a standalone retreat product. A Kerala itinerary can combine Ayurveda or wellness stays with cultural experiences, nature-based activities, cuisine, backwaters and slower-paced local travel.
This also aligns with Kerala’s broader ambition to strengthen its position as a global wellness destination. At KTM 2024, Kerala Tourism highlighted wellness tourism as a strategic area of development.
Responsible tourism moves closer to the mainstream
Responsible and community-oriented tourism also feature prominently in KTM’s positioning.
The Kerala Travel Mart Society describes responsible tourism and community-based tourism as important parts of KTM’s evolution, while the 2026 programme includes a dedicated panel on Social Responsibility in Tourism.
This is particularly relevant for smaller tourism enterprises and local communities. Homestays, village experiences, local food producers, craft-based activities and community-led tourism can give international buyers access to products that are difficult to replicate through conventional mass-market packages.
Kerala Tourism’s experience with responsible tourism has historically emphasised the participation and economic inclusion of local communities. At KTM 2016, responsible tourism was already a central theme, with discussions focused on empowering local people through tourism.
B2B matchmaking becomes increasingly digital
KTM 2026 is also significant from a technology perspective.
The Kerala Travel Mart Society has introduced an upgraded digital ecosystem covering registrations, buyer-seller meeting scheduling, seminar participation and real-time event information. A dedicated mobile application supports participants during the mart.
The programme itself reflects the changing priorities of the travel industry. Alongside business meetings, KTM 2026 includes discussions on AI and disruption by AI in tourism, evolving customer expectations, inclusive and accessible tourism, and social responsibility.
For B2B travel businesses, this makes KTM more than an exhibition. It is increasingly a marketplace for product discovery, partnerships, distribution relationships and conversations around how tourism products need to adapt to changing traveller behaviour.
Kerala looks beyond its traditional tourism centres
The state is also using KTM to expand the geographical and thematic range of its tourism offering.
Kerala’s established products—backwaters, Ayurveda, beaches, hill stations and cultural tourism—continue to form the foundation of its international proposition. At the same time, KTM’s focus on emerging experiences and destinations creates opportunities to distribute demand beyond the most established tourism circuits.
This matters commercially because destination diversification can create new products for repeat visitors while giving tour operators additional reasons to extend stays.
The official KTM platform itself highlights destinations and experiences ranging from backwaters and beaches to hills, wildlife, festivals and forts.
What KTM 2026 means for the travel trade
The significance of KTM 2026 extends beyond the headline buyer numbers.
For DMCs, the mart provides an opportunity to present specialised Kerala programmes to international partners.
For hotels and resorts, wellness, experiential and community-linked products create additional opportunities to sell the destination around the room rather than the room alone.
For tour operators, the growing emphasis on responsible and experience-led tourism creates scope for higher-value, more personalised itineraries.
For international buyers, Kerala offers a destination where leisure, wellness, culture, nature and responsible tourism can be combined within a single market.
KTM’s evolution therefore reflects a broader change taking place across the travel industry: travellers are increasingly looking for what they can experience at a destination, not simply what they can see.
Kerala is positioning its tourism supply accordingly.
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