|
Kerala Travel Mart to be held in Kochi in September
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM,Feb.16
As many as 170 Indian and 65 international buyers have registered for the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) to be held from September 20 to 23 at Kochi, Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said here on Friday,according to newspaper reports.Mr. Balakrishnan said delegates from more than 50 countries are expected to attend KTM, with large contingents expected from Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa and the United States.
On the domestic front, a good number of delegates are expected from Gujarat, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Uttar Pradesh, he said.The KTM, for which registration had begun on January 23, is the largest gathering of stakeholders in the tourism sector in the State designed, planned and organised by the Kerala Travel Mart Society with support from the State Department of Tourism. Buyers, sellers, the media and government agencies and other stakeholders would attend KTM, which would feature seminars, pre- and post-Mart tours and cultural evenings.
According to the report,the KTM 2008 would have 150 air conditioned stalls, 74 non-air conditioned stalls and 16 house boats available to the KTM Society members. Around 500 international and 400 domestic buyers are expected to attend the Mart. The first KTM was organised in 2000.The Kerala Travel Mart Society has as its members airlines, ayurveda centres, event managers in the tourism sector, home stays, hotels, houseboats, specialty hospitals, tour operators, travel agents and other service providers in the industry. Airlines like Air India and Sri Lankan Airlines and major hotels in the State would sponsor various aspects of the Mart, the Tourism Minister said. Tourism secretary V. Venu, KTM Society president E.M. Najeeb and KTM Society honorary secretary Sanjay Sharma reportedly attended the news conference. |
