Come autumn and God’s Own Country beckons again. Kerala has always been one of those places that keeps calling us back. Every visit gives us a new experience, whether it is through its food, culture, people, or natural beauty. This September, we are packing our bags once again for Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) 2026 in Kochi, one of the biggest events on Kerala’s tourism calendar. We are looking forward to seeing what is new across the state, meeting old friends, discovering new places, and bringing fresh stories.

About Kerala Travel Mart

Kerala Travel Mart, or KTM, is India’s largest travel event dedicated to a single state. It is organised by the Kerala Travel Mart Society, an association of tourism stakeholders, with the support of the Department of Tourism, Government of Kerala. Hotels, resorts, homestays, houseboat operators, Ayurveda centres, tour companies, cultural organisations, and many others connected with tourism come together under one roof. Visitors arrive from different parts of India and many countries, making Kochi an important meeting place for the travel industry. For travel writers, KTM 2026 is a chance to discover what is new in Kerala tourism, meet the people behind these experiences, and find stories worth sharing with our readers.

For us, Kerala Travel Mart has always been much more than a tourism event. Every edition introduces us to people who are deeply connected with their part of Kerala. They happily share stories, suggest places to visit, and help us see the state beyond the usual tourist circuit. Many of the destinations we have written about over the years have started with KTM.

KTM 2026 Dates and Venue

The 13th Kerala Travel Mart will be held from 24 to 27 September 2026 in Kochi. The inaugural ceremony will take place at the Grand Hyatt Convention Centre, Bolgatty, while the main business sessions will be held at the Sagara and Samudrika Convention Centres on Willingdon Island. The event will be inaugurated by Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri V. D. Satheesan, marking the beginning of another edition of Kerala’s biggest travel gathering.

We still remember the atmosphere around Kochi during the previous edition in 2024. Banners across the city, delegates arriving from different countries, and the excitement around the event made it feel like a celebration of Kerala tourism. We are hoping to experience that same feeling once again this September.

What happens at KTM?

The aesthetically designed exhibition halls at KTM are full of ideas for future holidays. Every stall tells a different story about Kerala. Some focus on popular destinations like Munnar, Alleppey, Wayanad, and Thekkady, while others introduce lesser-known villages, heritage stays, nature trails, food experiences, and wellness holidays. It is impossible to walk through the halls without adding a few new places to your travel list.

One thing we enjoy the most is talking to the people behind these destinations. They know their region better than anyone else and often recommend places that never appear in guidebooks. Those conversations have helped us plan several memorable journeys across Kerala.

Cultural programmes during KTM

Kerala Travel Mart is not only about travel plans and tourism stalls. The opening ceremonies usually include performances that introduce visitors to Kerala’s traditional arts. Earlier editions featured Kathakali, Theyyam, folk dances, traditional music and even Vallam Kali, the famed boat race of Kerala. We always make time to watch these performances because they add a special touch to the event. These events give us a chance to experience Kerala’s cultural heritage in one place.

A Culinary Trip to Kerala

Food is another reason we enjoy coming back to Kerala. During our earlier visit, we tasted dishes like Thalassery Biryani, Meen Moilee, fish fry, appam, and payasam served during the event. Oh, how can we forget Calicut Fruit Halwa and banana chips, our favourites! Every meal introduces us to another part of Kerala’s food culture. We are already looking forward to seeing what will be on our plate this year.

What else can you do while attending KTM?

If you are travelling to Kochi for KTM, it is worth staying for a couple of extra days. Kochi has enough attractions to keep you busy even after the event ends. Walk through the old streets of Fort Kochi, visit Mattancherry Palace and Jew Town, enjoy the sea breeze near the Chinese fishing nets, or spend a relaxed evening at Marine Drive. Each part of the city has its own character and moves at a comfortable pace.

If you have a little more time, take a short trip to places around Kochi. Kumbalangi is perfect if you enjoy village life and peaceful backwaters. Cherai Beach is another easy outing where you can spend a relaxed evening by the sea. Food lovers can complete the day with a traditional Kerala meal served on a banana leaf, fresh seafood, appam with stew, or a bowl of payasam before heading back.

Why we keep returning to KTM

Every Kerala Travel Mart leaves us with something new. Sometimes it is a destination we had never heard about or a story like the resilience of the Chekutty Dolls movement. At times it is a simple conversation that changes our travel plans completely. During the last KTM, we also visited Chendamangalam, the origin of the Chekutty dolls. Those experiences have helped shape many of our Kerala stories on DelhiFunDos over the years.

One of our favourite Kerala memories actually began inside Kerala Travel Mart. During an earlier edition, we met someone who spoke warmly about Kumbalangi, a village on the outskirts of Kochi. We were invited to spend a day there, and we happily accepted the suggestion without knowing what was waiting for us.

That visit became one of the highlights of our Kerala trip. Kumbalangi welcomed us with green surroundings, clean backwaters, fishing villages, and quiet roads lined with coconut trees. We spent hours walking around, chatting with local people, and watching everyday life unfold at an easy pace. Without KTM, we might never have found this peaceful corner of Kerala, and that is exactly why we enjoy attending the event.

That is why we are looking forward to KTM 2026. We hope to meet familiar faces, make new friends, discover more places worth visiting, and learn more about a state that continues to surprise us. If another conversation leads us to a place as memorable as Kumbalangi, we will know the journey has been worthwhile.

How to reach Kochi

Reaching Kochi is easy from almost anywhere in India. Cochin International Airport has regular flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru, Chennai, Hyderabad, and many other cities. The city is also well connected by train through Ernakulam Junction and Ernakulam Town railway stations. Once you arrive, taxis, app-based cabs, buses, the Kochi Metro, and ferries make travelling around the city quite simple.

If you are planning to attend Kerala Travel Mart, arriving a day early is a good idea. It gives you enough time to settle in, explore a little, and enjoy Kochi before the event begins. We have found that some of our favourite moments in the city have come while wandering without any fixed plan. Kochi always seems to reward those who slow down and take their time.

See you at KTM 2026 in Kochi

September is not very far away, and our plans are already taking shape. We know that Kerala Travel Mart 2026 will introduce us to new experiences, fresh conversations, and many more travel ideas, just as it has done in the past. We are equally excited to spend time in Kochi again, revisit a few favourite places, and hopefully discover a few more along the way. That has become our favourite part of every Kerala journey.

Over the coming weeks, we will be sharing everything we discover at Kerala Travel Mart 2026, along with our favourite places, local food, and experiences from Kochi and across Kerala. If you have been thinking about a trip to God’s Own Country, we hope our stories will inspire you to explore beyond the usual tourist trail. Until then, keep visiting DelhiFunDos as we count down to another memorable journey in Kerala.