Minister Tourism P C Vishnunadh speaking at the inauguration of the second edition of Global Travel Market (GTM 2026) and Metro Expedition-GTM Tourism Awards ceremony. Also seen are Minister for Tourism and Culture, Andhra Pradesh, Kandula Durgesh; V Muraleedharan, MLA; Corporation Mayor, V V Rajesh; Ajay Jain, Special Chief Secretary, Govt. of Andhra Pradesh; SN Reghuchandran Nair, President, TCCI; Siji Nair, CEO, GTM; Sisupalan Sagara, Vice President, SKHF; Prasad Manjali, Secretary, SKHF; EM Najeeb, President, CKTI, and Baby Mathew, Somatheeram Ayurveda Group.
KeralaTourism Minister P C Vishnunadh has said the government plans to take the State’s globally recognised Responsible Tourism initiatives to the next phase of growth by strengthening quality hospitality while adhering to sustainable tourism practices.Speaking after inaugurating the second edition of the Global Travel Market (GTM) 2026 and the Metro Expedition-GTM Tourism Awards 2026, the Minister said the upcoming State Budget would accord due importance to the tourism sector. He added that the government would actively consider the long-pending demand to grant industry status to tourism.The B2B travel and trade exhibition is being organised by the South Kerala Hoteliers Forum (SKHF), Thiruvananthapuram Chamber of Commerce and Industries (TCCI), Thavass Ventures and Metro Mart, in association with Kerala Tourism and India Tourism.Andhra awardedVishnunadh also presented the Metro Expedition-GTM Tourism Awards 2026. Andhra Pradesh Tourism received the Best Tourism Promotion State Award, which was accepted by Andhra Pradesh Tourism and Culture Minister Kandula Durgesh. The award recognises the State’s achievements in tourism promotion, destination branding, preservation of cultural heritage and overall advancement of the tourism sector.Rajasekharan Nair, Chairman and Managing Director of UDS Hotels and Resorts, received the Lifetime Achievement Award for his contributions and leadership in the hospitality and tourism industry.Among other winners, The Leela Raviz Kovalam received the inaugural award in the Excellence in Luxury Hospitality category, while Kerala Financial Corporation (KFC) won the Excellence in Financial Services for Tourism and Hospitality Development award.Published on June 5, 2026
