The Arab tourism market is poised to play a defining role in the future growth of Kerala tourism – particularly in driving progress across Ayurveda tourism, medical tourism, luxury travel, and the souvenir industry.
Kerala Minister for Tourism, Culture and Cinema unveiled the official logo of the Indo Arab Connect 2026, India’s biggest-ever GCC and West Asia tourism summit, to be held in Kochi during the first week of September 2026.
Organised by the Indo-Arab Tourism and Hospitality Alliance in association with Tourism India Media Group, Kerala Tourism, leading industry associations, and airline partners, Indo Arab Connect 2026 is designed to be a transformational platform connecting India’s finest tourism offerings directly to the Arab world’s most influential travel buyers.
The summit, to be inaugurated by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, will be attended by Tourism ministers from multiple Indian states, ambassadors and high commissioners from approximately ten countries, and senior tourism officials from across South Asia.
The centrepiece of the summit is a large-scale B2B networking meet, bringing together 200+ qualified Arab tour operators from Saudi Arabia, UAE, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Egypt, Jordan and Iran under one roof.
This will be followed by nine days of familiarisation during which GCC and West Asian delegates will travel across Kerala’s three tourism regions, experiencing first-hand the state’s Ayurveda, wellness, luxury, and cultural offerings.
Indo Arab Connect 2026 will host over 300 exhibitors from across South Asia – including state tourism departments, the tourism ministries of Sri Lanka and Maldives, luxury hotels and resorts, specialty hospitals, multi-specialty Ayurveda centres, tour operators, and airline and airport companies. The event will also draw over 500 tour operators, travel agents, and MICE professionals from across India during the two-day expo and seminar.
Speaking about the summit, Ravisankar K.V., Chief Coordinator of the Indo-Arab Tourism and Hospitality Alliance and CEO of Tourism India Group, said the event has been designed to give Arab tour operators – who already contribute significantly to Kerala’s international tourism – direct exposure to Kerala’s finest Ayurveda, medical tourism, and luxury experiences. The initiative aims to attract nearly three lakh additional visitors from the Arab world in the near future, contributing more than Rs. 25,000 crore to Kerala’s economy.
“This is the first time in India that a large-scale, dedicated tourism summit of this scale has been organised exclusively targeting the Arab tourism market. Ambassadors and industry representatives from nine Arab nations, along with tourism ministers and senior officials from various Indian states, have confirmed their willingness to participate,” Ravisankar added.
Arab tourists consistently figure among the top ten foreign visitor groups to Kerala. The GCC nations – particularly Saudi Arabia, Oman and the UAE – alongside West Asian countries such as Egypt, Jordan and Iran, are among Kerala’s leading international source markets.
Also published on Medium.
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