Kerala, home to iconic Indian female athletes like PT Usha, Anju Bobby George and KM Beenamol, has invited the two women who ended the country’s medal drought at Rio to relax and rejuvenate in the ‘God’s Own Country.’
Shuttler PV Sindhu and wrestler Sakshi Malik will also be honoured at the ninth edition of the Kerala Travel Mart (KTM), one of India’s largest tourism fair opening on September 27 with participation from 67 countries.
Through this, coupled with the state government’s move to relax its prohibition policy for the sector, the industry hopes to bring back travellers from northern parts of the country who have started turning to “alternative” destinations for holidaymaking.
“This invitation to see the very best of what Kerala has to offer with carefully tailored tour itineraries across the state is our way of thanking the country’s newest sporting heroes for doing us proud,” said KTM Society president Abraham George. 
“We’ll pull out all the stops to ensure their stay here will be as memorable as their performances. From the healing touch of authentic Ayurvedic therapies to the peace and quiet of a hill station, a tranquil cruise along the backwaters or enjoying splendid unspoilt beaches, the champion athletes are assured of some well-deserved relaxation.”
The invitation is to plan their itinerary including the biennial KTM September 28-30 which expects some 560 international delegates and over 1,300 domestic buyers to attend.
The organisers hope their presence to attract more participants.
“Besides the stresses faced by high-performance athletes, the rigorous training they would have put in over the past few years in the run-up to the Olympics, Kerala will be the ideal destination for them to recoup their strength,” he said.
“Our much-sought-after Ayurvedic massages, in particular, will aid in their rejuvenation.”
Some 261 sellers including hotels, resorts, houseboats, Ayurveda resorts, home stays and tour operators, will showcase an array of products, services and packages at the fair in the port city of Kochi.
KTM 2016 focuses on themes of ‘Responsible Tourism’ and ‘Muziris and Spice Route.’
The organisers have ensured participation from the UAE, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, China, Japan, South Korea, Mexico, Georgia, Chile, Greece, Iran and Botswana.
As a prelude, Unesco along with federal tourism ministry is hosting a ‘Spice Route Culinary Festival’ from September 23 with the participation of chefs from the 31- member countries on the historic Spice Route to promote the ‘Muziris and Spice Route’ theme.
“The KTM has always placed as much emphasis on the identification of quality buyers from new countries as on retaining participation levels from conventional markets,” 
he claims.
“With ten new nations this year, our efforts have borne fruit. Moreover, the increase in registrations from the ten conventional markets including the US, Canada and Australia, is further proof of the KTM’s growing profile.”
The KTM will witness 25,000 business meetings apart from meetups.
The mart is designed to facilitate business-to-business (B2B) networking and interactions among travel industry professionals and entrepreneurs from Kerala and across the world.