Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Finance Minister K. N. Balagopal on Thursday said considering the immense scope of Kerala’s tourism industry to contribute more revenue to the state, the stakeholders in the sector should focus more on developing infrastructure and coming up with innovative products to tap the global trends.

Balagopal said this while inaugurating the GTM Expo 2023, the first edition of South India’s prestigious travel expo, being held as part of Global Travel Market (GTM 2023). “Tourism has already become an important sector wherein the scope of private investment is very high. It is also a sector where investors can earn handsome returns. So, it is vital to apply innovative marketing strategies to promote Kerala Tourism globally,” said Balagopal.

Promising total support of the government to the tourism industry initiatives, Balagopal noted that expos and travel markets like GTM should facilitate the exchange of experience and networking among the participants and visitors.

More than 1,000 trade visitors, 600 plus domestic and 100 international tour operators and 100 plus corporate buyers attended a four-day summit in late September.