Wayanad is poised to emerge as a significant hub for women-led tourism initiatives as it prepares to host the second edition of Evolve 2026 – Tourism B2B Meet at Saptha Resort & Spa on January 31, 2026. Organized by the Women Tourism Fraternity of Kerala (WTFK), the event is expected to witness robust participation from tourism stakeholders across South India.
Building on the success of its inaugural edition, Evolve 2026 aims to strengthen business networking, promote responsible tourism practices, and enhance women’s leadership in the travel and hospitality sector.
Unprecedented Industry Response
Speaking about the forthcoming event, Ms. Husna Mohammed, President of the Women Tourism Fraternity of Kerala, highlighted the overwhelming industry response the second edition has received.
“This year, we will have more than 100 sellers participating, representing a diverse spectrum of Kerala’s tourism ecosystem including hotels, resorts, Ayurveda and wellness centers, tour operators, adventure parks, and houseboat operators from Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. We are also hosting around 400 major buyers from key domestic source markets across South India, including Bengaluru, Chennai, Coimbatore, Kochi, and Kozhikode,” she explained.
Ms. Husna further revealed that buyer response has exceeded all expectations, with over 1,500 registrations already received from various South Indian cities, demonstrating strong market interest in Kerala’s tourism offerings and the unique value proposition of a women-led B2B platform.
Strategic Focus on Responsible Tourism
The primary objective of Evolve 2026 centers on promoting Kerala Tourism by creating a collaborative platform that brings together tourism stakeholders, travel companies, accommodation providers, and buyers from across the region. Beyond commercial networking, the event seeks to highlight Kerala as a responsible, resilient, and women-inclusive tourism destination while fostering meaningful business-to-business partnerships that generate sustainable outcomes for all participants.
Under Ms. Husna Mohammed’s leadership, WTFK successfully organized its first B2B Meet in Wayanad, playing a constructive role in tourism revival efforts following the landslide incidents that affected the region. The second edition is expected to further strengthen industry collaboration, enhance business connectivity between sellers and buyers, and reinforce women’s participation and leadership in tourism trade at both state and national levels.
Vision and Mission of WTFK
The Women Tourism Fraternity of Kerala was founded with a clear and ambitious vision: to create a strong, inclusive, and globally competitive tourism ecosystem by empowering young professionals – especially women – through quality education, comprehensive industry exposure, mentorship, and leadership opportunities that traditionally remained inaccessible to many aspiring professionals in the sector.
The organization’s key aims encompass generating sustainable employment opportunities within tourism and hospitality sectors, strengthening women’s leadership and representation throughout the travel trade value chain, promoting responsible and resilient tourism development aligned with environmental and social sustainability principles, and positioning India as a source of skilled, professionally trained tourism professionals capable of competing and excelling in the global hospitality market.
Through these objectives, WTFK is working systematically to address the gender gap in tourism leadership while simultaneously raising professional standards and creating pathways for young women to enter and advance in an industry that offers significant economic and entrepreneurial opportunities.
A Young Leader Driving Industry Transformation
Ms. Husna Mohammed represents a new generation of tourism leadership in India. Recognized as one of the youngest tour operators in the country, her journey into the industry began early, inspired by her father’s 26-year career in tourism which exposed her to the sector’s dynamics from childhood.
Demonstrating exceptional commitment and passion, Ms. Husna began working full-time in tourism immediately after completing her 10th standard. At just 19 years old, she has already made significant impact on the industry through both her entrepreneurial ventures and her advocacy for women’s empowerment in tourism.
Operating through her offices in Tirur and Malappuram, she has trained over 100 students in tourism and hospitality skills, many of whom have successfully secured international placements in tourism and hospitality roles across various countries. This achievement demonstrates her commitment to not just building her own business, but creating opportunities and pathways for others, particularly young women seeking careers in the sector.
At the age of 18, Ms. Husna co-founded and officially registered the Women Tourism Fraternity of Kerala, making it India’s first women-led tourism association dedicated exclusively to supporting women professionals in the sector. This pioneering initiative has created a platform for networking, skill development, business collaboration, and advocacy that previously did not exist for women tourism professionals in Kerala or elsewhere in India.
Her global perspective has been shaped by travel to more than 10 countries for tourism education, destination studies, industry conferences, and professional engagement. These international experiences have equipped her with comparative insights into best practices, emerging trends, and innovative approaches that she brings back to strengthen Kerala’s tourism sector.
Her exceptional leadership and contributions to the industry have been recognized through awards from major tourism associations across India, acknowledging both her entrepreneurial success and her role in advancing women’s participation in tourism trade.
Wayanad as Strategic Venue
The choice of Wayanad as the venue for both editions of Evolve holds strategic significance. The district represents one of Kerala’s most important nature-based tourism destinations, offering diverse attractions spanning wildlife, plantations, adventure activities, tribal culture, and wellness experiences. However, Wayanad also faced significant challenges following natural disasters, making tourism revival critical for local economic recovery.
By hosting Evolve in Wayanad, WTFK demonstrates solidarity with the region while showcasing its resilience and continued appeal as a tourism destination. The event brings substantial business exposure to Wayanad’s tourism enterprises, connects them with buyers from major source markets, and reinforces confidence in the destination’s stability and future potential.
Expected Outcomes and Industry Impact
Evolve 2026 is expected to generate multiple tangible outcomes for participating stakeholders. Sellers will gain direct access to qualified buyers from Kerala’s key domestic source markets, potentially resulting in contracted business, partnership agreements, and expanded distribution networks. Buyers will experience comprehensive exposure to Kerala’s diverse tourism products, enabling informed decision-making about which offerings best suit their client segments and market positioning.
Beyond immediate business transactions, the event creates networking capital that facilitates ongoing relationships, knowledge exchange, and collaborative problem-solving within the industry. For women tourism professionals specifically, Evolve provides visibility, credibility, and connection to the broader industry ecosystem, helping overcome barriers that often limit women’s advancement in tourism leadership roles.
The event also contributes to Kerala’s broader tourism development objectives by promoting responsible tourism practices, highlighting sustainability initiatives, showcasing innovation in tourism products, and demonstrating the economic vitality and professional maturity of the state’s tourism sector to domestic buyers who increasingly seek reliable, quality-assured partners for their Kerala tourism offerings.
As Evolve 2026 prepares to convene at Saptha Resort & Spa in Wayanad on January 31, the Women Tourism Fraternity of Kerala stands positioned to further strengthen Kerala’s tourism ecosystem while setting a national benchmark for women-led tourism initiatives. The success of this second edition will likely influence whether similar platforms emerge in other states, potentially creating a movement of women-led tourism business development across India.
For the immediate participants – the 100+ sellers and 400 buyers expected to attend – Evolve 2026 represents a concentrated opportunity to conduct business, forge partnerships, and contribute to Kerala’s tourism growth story. For the broader industry, it signals that women’s leadership in tourism is not an aspiration but an established reality, capable of organizing significant industry events, mobilizing stakeholder participation, and delivering measurable business outcomes.
Ms. Husna Mohammed’s vision extends beyond event organization to systemic transformation of how women participate in and lead within India’s tourism sector. Through WTFK’s initiatives, training programs, advocacy efforts, and platforms like Evolve, she is creating pathways, breaking barriers, and demonstrating that age, gender, and traditional limitations need not constrain ambition, capability, or impact in building India’s tourism future.
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