Tourism initiatives get much acclaim
KERALA has set a successful model before the nation on how tourism should be promoted by complying with sustainable and inclusive goals.
This statement by Tourism Minister P. A. Mohamed Riyas has proved to the core when, on World Tourism Day (Sept 27), the state’s Responsible Tourism (RT) initiative received two national awards for the Best RT Village and the Best Agri Tourism Village for the schemes it implemented at Kadalundi (Kozhikode) and Kumarakom (Kottayam) respectively.
This is the second consecutive year that Kerala has received top honours of Tourism Village Awards instituted by the Union Ministry of Tourism after Kanthalloor in the Idukki district bagged the Gold Award last year.
The awards were presented by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in the presence of the Vice President of India Jagdeep Dhankhar at a function held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi on Friday, Sept 27.
Meanwhile, the 12th edition of Kerala Tourism’s flagship event, Kerala Travel Mart, held in Kochi on Friday saw several foreign buyers expressing hope that a marketing strategy aligned with a sensitive approach, human connection and financial support can help tourism destinations hit by natural disasters to bounce back.
Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission (KRTM) Society has implemented a slew of initiatives as part of its STREET (Sustainable Tangible Responsible Experiential Ethnic Tourism) project at Kadalundi district in collaboration with the Grama Panchayat.
The famed backwater destination Kumarakom, adjudged as the Best Agri Tourism Village, has been turned into a major farm-tourism destination through the schemes initiated by KRTM in partnership with the village panchayat.
The RT initiatives in Kadalundi are being implemented as part of the comprehensive tourism project planned around Beypore.
Several 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.
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.
Globally renowned for its stunning scenic charm, lake-side Kumarakom has been one of the first RT destinations of Kerala.
A traditional agricultural belt with a vast expanse of paddy fields crisscrossed by canals, the farm tourism potential of the area has been tapped fully by the RT Mission by carrying out projects in a systematic fashion.
Visitors to Kumarakom are treated to a range of enjoyments such as a fishing experience, a farming experience and a day with a farmer, complete with a stroll through the green paddy fields.
The huge participation by foreign delegates in the 12th edition of Kerala Tourism’s flagship event, Kerala Travel Mart, which concluded in Kochi on Sunday, Sept 29 demonstrates how well-accepted Kerala is globally.
Several foreign buyers expressed the hope that a marketing strategy aligned with a sensitive approach, human connection and financial support can help tourism destinations hit by natural disasters to bounce back.
Let’s hope that the state government will continue to make use of the great tourism potential to the maximum.