KTM 2026: Experts emphasize humanity, accessibility for social responsibility in tourism

Kochi / August 27, 2026

Kochi, Sept. 27: Showing humanity and creating accessibility for all sections of society, alongside local community engagement, are vital to social responsibility in the tourism industry, experts said at Kerala Travel Mart (KTM 2026) today.

They were speaking at a panel discussion on ‘Social Responsibility in Tourism’ held on the sidelines of the business-to-business (B2B) meetings and exhibition as part of KTM 2026 at the Sagara and Samudrika Convention Centres on Willingdon Island.  The September 24-27 event is one of the country’s premium tourism and trade expos.

According to Dr Mithra Satheesh, Ayurveda practitioner and travel writer from Kerala, engaging with local communities, local guides, and immersing in local culture are part of socially responsible tourism.

“Another aspect of social responsibility is economic intentionality, which means ensuring that each dollar or each rupee that is spent goes to the local community,” Dr Mithra said. “As tourists, social responsibility means we should be responsible towards the people with whom we interact.”

As a solo traveller, she connects with local guides before she travels to ease the fear of landing in a new place.

On accessible tourism, Dr Mithra said tourism or tourist spots have to be accessible to all sections of people, including the physically challenged.

“In European countries, they have gone far ahead in accessible tourism as most of the tourist destinations are wheelchair accessible. But Keralam lags behind in it. Also, the stakeholders can think about collecting things made by differently abled as a way of helping them,” she added.

Ms Salila Sukumaran, Founder, Ayurgamaya, said wellness travel is based on the fraternity of humanity. “When people come to Kerala, they literally tell me that they feel loved. They feel healed only because they visit people who are able to open their hearts and are able to love them. When it comes to social responsibility in the wellness space, it's not just surface level; it's very deep, and it's soulful,” she said.

Ms Sukumaran opined that the opportunity lies in being authentic, bringing depth and meaning into every interaction.

Noting that there is ample room for improvement, she suggested creating a more welcoming atmosphere for tourists in Keralam. She also stressed the need to show more of our human side to create emotional depth and connection with tourists, ensuring a customer for life.  

Mr Evan McElligott, CEO, Longer Vacations, US said: “In the age of AI and social media, bring back the imperfections in the marketing instead of making everything polished and so perfect. Tour operators must ensure longer stays so that visitors will get an opportunity to know deeply about the community life.”

Mr Shilendran M, Vice President, Marketing, CGH Earth Hotels, moderated the session. Former KTM President Riyas Ahmed welcomed the participants to the seminar session.

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