Kerala tourism needs to move beyond backwaters and package holistic journeys: Panelists at KTM

Kochi / September 26, 2026

Kochi, Sept 26: Keralam needs to broaden its tourism offerings beyond its established backwaters and traditional attractions and develop more holistic, personalised journeys as traveler expectations evolve, industry leaders said at a seminar at the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) 2026 here.

The seminar on ‘Evolving Customer Expectations’ examined how changing traveler behaviour, personalisation, artificial intelligence and customer reviews are reshaping the hospitality and tourism industry.

The session, moderated by Lalith Viswakumar, Keralam Head, Taj Hotels & Resorts, noted that while technology, including AI, will increasingly influence hospitality, personalisation and human touch will remain central to the guest experience.

Vineet Mahendru, COO, President and Country Head, TCI and SITA, said Keralam needs to take its tourism offering to the next level by moving beyond established products.

“Keralam needs to go to the next level beyond backwaters and beaches. The state should package holistic journeys,” he said.

The discussion also focused on combining the state's established strengths in wellness, nature and culture to increase footfall.

Samir M C, CEO, O by Tamara, said guest expectations have changed significantly, with travellers now seeking more from hotels than they did in the past.

He also pointed to wellness as an area that promises great potential for Keralam. “Wellness needs to be tapped even more. Keralam is not selling the monsoon enough,” he said.

The discussion highlighted personalisation as a key differentiator in an increasingly competitive hospitality market. Ravi Gosain, President, IATO, said the industry needs to personalise elements ranging from timing and food to experiences.

On the balance between standardisation and personalisation, the panel agreed that while hotels need consistent basic standards, there must also be room to tailor experiences to individual guests.

The panel also discussed the growing role of AI in hospitality. Gosain said the debate should not be framed as humans versus AI, but rather as AI supporting human-led tourism.

AI is OK, but the human touch in tourism is needed, they said.

Mahendru described AI as a support tool rather than a replacement for people, particularly in guest-facing functions.

“AI is supporting, not replacing,” he said, stressing that human interaction remains essential in areas such as guest relations. “You are never going to replace a human with AI to receive a guest.”

Samir said AI could increasingly take over mundane tasks, allowing hospitality professionals to focus on areas where human interaction adds greater value.

The panel also underlined the growing influence of customer reviews. Samir said today's customer has considerable power because of the ability to publicly review experiences, giving hotels an immediate pulse of what guests think about their services.

Mahendru said tourism products need to be designed around customer needs rather than created primarily for their visual appeal or social media potential.

“We have to design products for customers, not for photo sake,” he said, noting that service failures can occur in the hotel industry and that businesses should focus on improving the underlying experience.

“Luxury is now about personalisation rather than opulence,” Mahendru said, adding that luxury and opulence still need to go hand in hand.

Riyas Ahmed, Chairman of the seminar committee and former KTM President, welcomed the panelists.

ENDS
 

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