People’s participation adds muscle to Responsible Tourism initiatives
Surge in people’s participation aids Kerala drive responsible tourism initiatives
People’s participation is prime in Kerala’s Responsible Tourism initiatives. With policies drafted to bring in the support and involvement of citizens, the Responsible Tourism Mission in the state has seen much success of late. The unique Responsible Tourism Clubs that have been formed to push for more participation of the people is one example of how noble ventures can surge ahead in a major way.
Acknowledging the successful manner in which the RT mission has driven the noble idea, Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas said that the Responsible Tourism Clubs form the latest example of a surge in the people’s participation in Kerala’s travel industry. The Minister inaugurated a state-level chain of such units that seek to woo the young generation into the segment and groom them as responsible hosts.
Responsible Tourism Clubs see surge in people’s participation
The area of operation for tourism clubs led by District Tourism Promotion Councils (DTPCs) will be the major destinations while the RT clubs are mandated with regional tourism centres, he noted.
Besides taking care of a tourist destination, the RT clubs are expected to play a key role in local development, self-employment and prospective commercial ventures. The Clubs will work in association with the Responsible Tourism Mission by leading the government’s efforts to develop local travel and tourism facilities, create awareness on the Responsible Tourism Mission and boost the region’s folk culture by maintaining their traditional ethos, besides making destinations pollution-free and bringing them under the green protocol.
100 RT Clubs this financial year
The Kerala government is also planning to kickstart 100 such Responsible Tourism Clubs during the current financial year. The State Responsible Tourism Mission will impart training to the Responsible Tourism clubs so as to enable them to get involved in their entrepreneurial ventures and sense their developmental prospects. A state-level network of the Responsible Tourism Clubs will aim at promoting domestic tourism in Kerala.
The RT Mission, set in motion by the Kerala government in 2017, has as its mandate creating awareness and implementing the ideologies and initiatives of Responsible Tourism across the state. The mission aims at making tourism a tool for the development of village and local communities, eradicating poverty and giving emphasis to women empowerment. Further, enabling farmers, traditional artisans, and marginalised people to earn additional incomes, and also creating a social and environmental equilibrium, come as prime priorities for the RT Mission.
