Tourism Minister to open three-day GTM 2026 on June 3
Trivandrum / June 2, 2026
Thiruvananthapuram, June 02: Minister for Tourism and Culture Shri P C Vishnunadh will inaugurate Global Travel Market (GTM 2026) at Kovalam here tomorrow (June 3).
The first major hospitality sector event after the present government assumed office, the meet will showcase unique tourism circuits of south Kerala along with the state’s time-tested assets before a large gathering of buyers and sellers from India and abroad.
Minister for Transport Shri C P John; Sri Lankan Deputy Minister of Tourism Prof. Ruwan Ranasinghe and Minister for Tourism and Culture, Andhra Pradesh, Shri Kandula Durgesh, will be the Guests of Honour at the inaugural ceremony at Uday Samidra Leisure Beach Hotel, Kovalam, at 6 pm. Shri M Vincent MLA will preside over the function.
Shri Suman Billa, IAS, Additional Secretary and Director General, India Tourism, Government of India, will deliver the special address.
The event will also unveil an upfront project to introduce Ayurveda to global tour operators, with Kerala’s strategic advantages to emerge as global hub of wellness tourism. The GTM expo will witness convergence of over 1000 domestic and international buyers and 300 corporate buyers.
The B2B travel and trade exhibition is organised by South Kerala Hoteliers Forum (SKHF), Thiruvananthapuram Chamber of Commerce and Industries (TCCI), Thavass Ventures, and Metro Mart, in association with Kerala Tourism and India Tourism.
To be held in multiple venues of the state capital and suburbs, the event is envisaged as a platform for exhibitors and buyers to build business partnerships with key global players in the travel and tourism industry.
Shri Ajay Jain, IAS, Special Chief Secretary, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh; Shri Biju K, IAS, Secretary, Kerala Tourism; Shri Kedar A Naik, Director of Tourism, Goa; Smt. Anjana M, IAS, Director, Kerala Tourism; Shri SN Reghuchandran Nair, President, TCCI; Shri Narayanan MR, President, SKHF; Shri Sisupalan Sagara, Vice President, SKHF; Shri Jose Pradeep, President, KTM Society; and Shri EM Najeeb, President, CKTI, will also attend the inaugural ceremony.
Seminar sessions on Hospitality Education, Medical Tourism, and Ayurveda and Kerala Tourism will be held on June 4.
Minister for Agriculture Shri T. Siddique will deliver the keynote address at a session on ‘Farm Tourism: Cultivating Sustainable Rural Prosperity in Kerala’ on June 5.
Shri Rupesh Kumar K, Mission Director, Responsible Tourism Mission, Kerala, will lead a seminar on ‘Responsible Tourism for Inclusive Growth and Community Well-being’ on the final day. Ms. Indu Krishna, Founder, Escape Now, Gender Audit & Safety Audit Team Member, RT Mission, Kerala and Ms. Indira, RT Club leader, will be other panellists. In another session, Shri Naseer Salaam, Chairman, Kerala Development Media, will speak on ‘Development of Kerala.’
As part of the event, the Global Travel Mart Expo 2026 will be opened at Golden Palace Convention Centre at Amaravila near Neyyattinkara on June 4 at 10 am.
At the expo, more than 200 stalls will showcase innovative tourism products, and leading experts from the travel and tourism industry will address sessions on various topics. Corporate networking sessions with participation by company representatives will also be held. B2B sessions will be held on June 4 and 5.
Over 1000 domestic and international buyers and 300 corporate buyers will participate in the expo to generate new sales leads, launch new products, network with key decision-makers, increase brand awareness, and gather market intelligence.
The event will deliver a vibrant environment for B2B and B2C organisations and provide an opportunity for participants to meet, network, negotiate, find the right collaborators, conduct business, and gather new insights. In addition to showcasing a range of tourism products and services, the travel expo will provide an opportunity to connect with key players in the southern region's travel and tourism industry.
The event will have over 200 stalls set up by major hoteliers and resorts, tourism boards
and organisations, airlines, hotel suppliers, travel agents, tour operators, travel tech innovators, etc.
GTM 2026 will feature a dedicated HoReCa Pavilion to showcase products and solutions for hotels, restaurants, cafes and the catering industry. The pavilion will serve as a focused platform for business networking and sourcing. Besides, the Travancore Experience Zone will showcase the adventure, culinary, culture, food, hospitality, literature, social activities and many specialties of Travancore.
Also, pavilions featuring six themes, including inbound travel operators to Kerala, outbound travel operators (both B2B and B2C), Ayurveda, yoga and wellness operators, resorts, retreats and hospitals, wedding tourism, corporate road show, homestays and serviced villas, will be set up at the travel expo.
The expo is open to the public on June 5.
For more details, visit www.gtmt.in or contact 9995139933. Email: info@gtmt.in
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