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Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) in the popular tourist state of Southern India made a striking comeback after the pandemic with 1500 hosted buyers from 59 countries and 25 Indian states bringing fruition to their pre-scheduled meetings at 325 stalls of Kerala service providers.
Dr V Venu, Additional Chief Secretary, Government of Kerala, said: “Individually we all have lost loved ones, faced problems and financial losses. But as always, we, in the industry have to rise above our personal priorities to serve our guests. We hope that growth trajectory moves only upwards from now on.”
The paperless mart at Samudrika Convention Centre, spread over 150,000 square feet of green space was tastefully done up with real time experiences like bamboo rafting, cave walk, Kalari -indigenous martial art demonstration and a peek into caravans that are making inroads into the state, besides creatively made-up stalls. Number of meetings at the previous edition of KTM, in 2018 were 30,000. The Mart couldn’t be held in 2020 due to the pandemic.
V R Krishna Teja, Director-Tourism, Government of Kerala, said: “There is a change in the air. 88 percent of Kerala population and all service providers at tourist destinations are double vaccinated. Kerala, as a land of diverse experiences, is getting 35 domestic tourists per minute. We have developed many new products.”
Kerala has been a champion in the practice of Responsible and Sustainable Tourism, since more than a decade and has been a consultant to international service providers. KTM provides its members across board, a platform to showcase their products to worldwide buyers at their doorsteps.
K S Srinivas, Principal Secretary, Kerala Tourism, said: “We are positioning Kerala as an experiential destination. Farm tourism, outdoor and adventure activities, new Malabar cruise and such unexplored activities carried out in a sustainable and inclusive manner will be the focus of our Government.”
Known as Gods Own Country, the state is blessed with beaches, backwaters, mountains and wildlife and culturally rich people living amidst this nature.
E M Najeeb, President, Great India Tour Company, said: “Our focus since tourism was conceptualised in Kerala, has been to showcase nature, cuisine and culture and these continue to be our biggest draws, in the post pandemic era.”
Sellers were optimistic with unexpected good bookings for summer season. Sejoe Jose, Founder & CEO, Marvel Tours, told eGTMedia: “I have never seen an April or May so busy. During the lull, I gave up all my extra-agency activities and concentrated on my team. We developed new, exclusive products like Moksha, where we manage nine exclusive luxury properties.”
Rajiv Mehra, President, Indian Association of Tour Operators (IATO) told eGTMedia: “It’s heartening to see KTM being organised and tourism open-up. Hope we can have at least 40 to 50 percent of our usual business in the coming winter season starting in October.”
There is new hope for traditional tour operators. Dr Venu said: “Pandemic has created an anxious traveller, who will need a lot of re-assurance with personal, customised services with authentic, local information. The pandemic has been a rude awakening and has taught us not to take anything for granted. Adopting latest technology is important. We need to be humble, innovative and be clever to face any future challenges.”
New attractions like houseboat cruise in serene Malabar waters, Caravan Tourism, staycations, Work-cations, Nationally accredited Ayurveda resorts and many existing offerings with a new approach are here to make Kerala a destination to look for in the new era.
Written by Madhura Katti