Kerala’s Responsible Tourism (RT) initiative has bagged two national awards for the Best RT Village and the Best Agri-Tourism Village for the schemes it implemented at Kadalundi and Kumarakom respectively.
The awards instituted by the Union Ministry of Tourism were presented by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in the presence of Vice-President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar at a function in New Delhi on Friday to mark the World Tourism Day.
The awards were received by Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission (KRTM) Society CEO K. Rupeshkumar, Kadalundi grama panchayat president Anusha V.V. and Kumarakom grama panchayat president Dhanya Sabu.
The KRTM Society has implemented a slew of initiatives as part of its STREET (Sustainable Tangible Responsible Experiential Ethnic Tourism) project at Kadalundi in Kozhikode district in collaboration with the grama panchayat.
The famed backwater destination of Kumarakom in Kottayam district, adjudged the best agri-tourism village, has been turned into a major farm tourism destination through the schemes initiated by the KRTM in partnership with the grama panchayat.
Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas said the awards demonstrated Kerala’s compliance with sustainable and inclusive goals, which have become all the more relevant now.
“Kerala won these awards due to meticulous planning and focussed implementation of the schemes by the Tourism department and the RT Mission Society with the active participation of the local community,” said Tourism Secretary K Biju.
“The RT projects have contributed immensely to the growth of tourism in Kerala ever since its launch over two decades back. We are living in a world where the relevance of this model with its emphasis is on evolving responsible, ethical and inclusive development models is vital,” said Tourism Director Sikha Surendran.
The RT initiatives in Kadalundi are being implemented as part of the comprehensive tourism project planned around Beypore. A number of schemes to turn the area into a major Green Destination have been implemented at Kadalundi, which is one of the 10 STREET destinations across the state.
STREET aims at participatory tourism development based on the UNWTO’s motto, ‘Tourism for Inclusive Growth’ by developing destinations into theme-based streets and widening the area of tourism activities so as to reduce the tourist concentration in the main points.
The projects were conceived and implemented with the participation of the local community, starting with the convening of the ‘special tourism grama sabha.’ This was followed by an awareness campaign, resource mapping, preparation of a resource directory and formulation of village life experience packages.
The packages include boating through backwaters and inlets interspersed with mangroves, experiencing local cuisine, a look at traditional occupations and crafts. All these components are carried out by complete adherence to a green protocol and aimed at enhancing the income of the local community.
The ‘One Tourist One Tree’ initiative promoted as part of the package contributed to preserving the ecosystem and increasing the green cover of the entire stretch of the destination.
The project has attracted bloggers from 26 countries to Kadalundi last year, who featured the scenic destination in social media around the world.
Visitors to Kumarakom, one of the first RT destinations in Kerala, are treated to a range of enjoyments such as fishing experience, farming experience and a day with a farmer, complete with a stroll through the green paddy fields.
Published – September 27, 2024 11:53 pm IST