Kochi, Sep 24 (IANS): Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the 12th edition of Kerala Travel Mart (KTM-2024), here, which is the state tourism industry's showpiece event on Thursday.

According to Kerala Tourism Board data, in 2023, the state witnessed 2.1 crore domestic arrivals, while the number of international travellers was 6.49 lakh.

The four-day event showcases the state's strength in the tourism sector before an international audience and heralds its resurgence in the hospitality industry after the Wayanad tragedy.

The biennial mart by the KTM Society in its 25th year is particularly high on optimism, featuring the highest-ever total of buyers at 2,839 (vis-a-vis the standing record of 1,305 in 2018). Of them, those in the domestic category add up to 2,035.

Of the 808 foreign buyers from 76 countries at KTM 2024, 67 are from the UK, 60 from the Gulf and 55 from the US. While the buyers from Russia total 34, those from the rest of Europe total 245. There will be 41 buyers from Africa, while the others are from East Asia. As for domestic buyers, Maharashtra (578) tops the list, followed by Delhi (340) and Gujarat (263).

The September 26-29 mart, which is being organised with support from other agencies of the state as well as industry besides assistance from the state Tourism Department, heralds a "total digital revolution" in KTM as the organisers have come up with software that ensures the smooth conduct of B2B meetings. Also, there is a pioneering app adhering to the green protocol.

As a run-up to KTM-2024, a four-day pre-mart tour is on from September 22, involving media persons, vloggers and influencers.

From September 30, there will also be a five-day post-mart tour across Kerala for select buyers who attended the event.

The 12th KTM accords a special focus on Kerala as a wedding destination.

The event also focuses on cruise tourism, even as serial landslides in the state’s northeastern Vythiri taluk this July-end wreaked havoc along the hilly Wayanad district.