Kochi: The Kerala Travel Mart Society has seen a spurt in the tourist arrivals from Russia to the state and hopes to further consolidate the trend by providing a special thrust in the forthcoming Travel Mart to be held in September. Emphasis will be given to strengthen the partnership between the two countries in the revenue-generating sector, Travel Mart Society president Baby Mathew told reporters.
Yana Filippova, a Russian, selected as the Eurasia Beauty Queen, has been roped in as a goodwill ambassador of KTM for Russia. "With Yana Filippova being the Goodwill Ambassador, we expect more participation from Russia for the event,” Mr Mathew said.
"We anticipate a record number of registrations this year,” he said. India and Russia are observing 2018 as the year of tourism which will also be leveraged for the success of the event, he added.
KTM 2018 will be inaugurated on September 27, coinciding with World Tourism Day, which will be followed by three days of business-to-business meetings.
The pre-registration for the KTM has already evinced an overwhelming response with more than 800 domestic and 230 international buyers applying for participation till date. Registration will close on July 28. “The business-to-business meetings of the KTM offer a wide spectrum of opportunities for buyers and sellers to expand their business territories and attract potential buyers,” Mr Mathew said. The exhibition at KTM will have around 300 stalls featuring a range of products, packages and services offered by businesses and entrepreneurs.
