Kochi: From next year, a trimmed-down version of Kerala Travel Mart (KTM) will gypsy abroad in alternate years to lure clients.

Kerala tourism secretary T Balakrishnan said on the sidelines of KTM that the department is thinking of taking the mart to Kuwait in 2003. “The Middle East is a huge high-end market. The Arabs have extended families with 30 to 35 members. They are also very high spenders.” The officials of the tourism department and KTM Society held discussions with the Kuwaiti delegation in this regard.

Tourism Minister K V Thomas said KTM has emerged as the best travel mart in India, showcasing players from the southern states along with Kerala. The mart has a total of 172 stalls and 856 buyers, out of which 532 are from abroad and 324 domestic.

Central tourism joint secretary Amitabh Kant calls it the finest travel mart in South East Asia. “Getting over 500 international buyers is a remarkable achievement. The model is unique as tourism here is of sustainable nature and products of local entrepreneurship. Many resorts are boutique. Kerala tourism, which is being branded and positioned as a high-value upmarket product, is driving Indian tourism.”

Tourism is one of the key economic drivers in Kerala and the tourist arrival in the state touched 5.5 million during 2001, generating a revenue of Rs 5,000 crore, which is 6.29 per cent of the state’s GDP, Balakrishnan said. “It provides employment to 700,000 people and KTM has registered almost a 100-per cent growth. KTM 2000 was Kerala-specific and had around 400 buyers, which has doubled with KTM 2002.”

This time the problem was with keeping other players away, he said. “South Indian states, including Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry, are taking part in the mart, but the KTM organisers had to say no to 10 states. “We may have to accommodate more states next time. The tourism growth strategy adopted by Kerala is now spiralling south India.”

KTM Society president E M Najeeb said KTM 2002 is expected to bring about 20-per cent growth in the sector. “Tourism players are extremely happy with the response from buyers, who are very serious.”