Thiruvananthapuram: Industry circles have raised apprehensions over the change in international profile of the biennial Kerala Travel Mart (KTM), the fourth edition of which concluded in Kochi recently, and the reported drift from its objectives.

Launched in 2000 by Kerala Tourism, the aim of the event was to showcase Kerala and provide a direct marketing link for stakeholders of the tourism sector with foreign tour operators. The event was also instrumental in bringing together the business fraternity and entrepreneurs behind tourism products and services of God's Own Country.

The Kerala Travel Mart Society, which took over the responsibility of organising the event from Kerala Tourism, has stated that 1,260 representatives of buyers and sellers participated in the fourth edition.

Industry sources said tour operators from North India dominated the mart. Domestic buyers from Mumbai and Delhi stole the limelight, reducing it to a local travel and trade fair and thereby, drifting from its main objective of showcasing Kerala and its unique tourism products.

Buyers' directory, normally issued on the inaugural day along with registration, was also not supplied. Kits with brochures and other promotional materials were distributed only to buyers this time.

Lack of response from airline companies and interactive sessions between the local travel trade and dilution of norms for gaining entry to the society had cast its shadow on the mart. Only 300 foreign buyers attended the three-day event, sources said.

SriLankan Airlines had flown in 85 buyers, especially those from Southeast Asian countries. Apart from them, there were 50 buyers from Europe. "Europe and the U.S are predominant markets to which Kerala Tourism depended on over the years. But genuine buyers from Europe and the U.S were absent in the KTM," sources said.

Though there was 100 per cent increase among sellers for taking stalls in table space categories, there was only 55 per cent increase in sellers who took the AC stalls. Majority of those who occupied the latter were tour operators from Delhi and other northern parts. Buyers who arrived from the north turned sellers, sources said. The marginalised local tour operators had thus to be content with the table space.

Sources in the society said there was no way to restrict the sellers from Delhi and other metros at KTM.

"The local tour operators are not benefited in anyway. They are offered higher rates, while those coming from Mumbai, Delhi and abroad walk away with rock-bottom rates," sources said. The local tour operators are not given any priority in the KTM and the hoteliers are working against the tour operators. According to industry sources, the hoteliers hike the room rates before the season without any norms.

Although destination management was the responsibility of tour operators, hoteliers were sidelining them to corner business. Many tour operators in the State had been reduced to mere transport operators.

"An impression had been created that the destination is expensive and rooms are not affordable for tourists. This is turning to be a negative factor for the tourism industry of Kerala."

Just before the KTM in Kochi, the tour operators have informally discussed the growing concerns against hotel industry. Sources said all segments of the tourism industry should get the benefit instead of one segment.

`Resounding success'

However, vice-chairman of the society E.M. Najeeb said the KTM was a "resounding success" compared with the previous editions. "We aimed for quality, but to our surprise we got quality and numbers," he said.

Chairman of the society Jose Dominic said the buyers' profile reflected in the good performance of sellers this year and the KTM. "The buyers' profile was put through rigorous appraisal process and those who did not have credibility were weeded out. International profile can be gauged from buyers who arrived and the response to the mart was overwhelming."

Although 650 hotel rooms was given as complimentary for the KTM by the hoteliers, only limited number of free seats were given by various airlines this year. Mr. Dominic said the membership to the society was restricted to the seller and the appraisal committee had rejected 100 applications. "Tour operators gaining upper hand over local tour operators and rock-bottom rates being offered to tour operators from north had not come to the notice of the society. Availability than rates counts in hotels," he added.

The budget for KTM was Rs. 5 crore and Kerala Tourism had allocated Rs. 35 lakh as sponsorship for the inaugural day and cultural programmes.

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