KTM 2018 Invigorates Tourism In God's Own Country

Kerala made milestone advances in tourism by charting steps to stir up the crucial industry that contributes to a tenth of its economy, as the state went ahead with organising its biggest travel event Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) in a bid to reinvigorate the sector recovering from the recent floods

The pall of gloom that had descended on Kerala’s globally famed tourism and hospitality industry in the wake of the August floods appears to have lifted if the message filtering from the recently concluded Kerala Travel Mart - 2018 (KTM) is any indication. With the state ticking all the boxes to win back the confidence of tourists, God’s Own Country has bounced back with an incredible resilience, removing any lingering apprehension about its preparedness to receive visitors in the October-March tourist season.

It is true the initial portents were extremely unnerving for the state’s tourism industry. The floods had rampaged through 12 of Kerala’s 14 districts. The tourism infrastructure, especially roads got affected while a string of bookings were cancelled in August. In effect, Kerala Tourism was staring at a loss of 1,000 crore, a sector that contributed 33,000 crore in 2017, accounting for 10 per cent of the state’s GDP and a little over 23 per cent of its total employment. In fact, there were doubts whether the KTM (September 27-30) would be held at all. But the biennial showpiece event, India’s biggest conclave of tourism sector stakeholders from across the world, was not only held but it also turned out to be an unqualified success.

Breaking new records

Facts speak for them selves: 35,000 business meets involving 1,635 buyers shortlisted from 7,000 applicants (545 of them from 66 foreign countries - the highest in the KTM history so far), 325 sellers in 400-odd stalls and the highest number of foreign buyers from US and the UK. That definitely showed the trust of global tourism industry in Kerala.