Kerala will play host to an international conference on responsible and gender-inclusive tourism in October 2024.
The first-of-its-kind initiative will showcase the southern state’s success in promoting participatory development in tourism through the globally acclaimed Responsible Tourism (RT) scheme. The conclave will present Kerala’s experience in creating a sustainable and gender-inclusive tourism model, and chart out plans to further strengthen the movement which has made a deep impact at the grassroots level with local communities benefiting substantially.
“The RT initiative has made vital contributions in marking Kerala as an all-season experiential destination. It has successfully taken tourism to the grassroots in a sustainable manner with the active participation of local communities. The salient features of this unique project will be unveiled before a global audience at the conclave,” tourism secretary K Biju said.
Kerala Tourism had previously organised the Global Responsible Tourism Summit in February 2023, which saw the adoption of the Kerala Responsible Tourism Declaration. The declaration dwelled on three kinds of responsibilities: social, economic and environmental. It called for maximum economic benefits to residents around any project by increasing linkages and reducing leakages by involving communities. It also stated that local communities should be involved in planning, decision-making and capacity-building.
To strengthen gender equality and ensure safe destinations for women as both hosts and guests, the state's RT Mission will work with civic bodies and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women—known as UN Women—in all programs.
“The details of the forthcoming conference in October are being worked out in consultation with the tourism department and other stakeholders. It will have riveting conversations involving domain experts, people’s representatives, policymakers, stakeholders, cultural personalities, conservationists and members of civil society outfits from India and abroad,” said Rupeshkumar K, CEO of the Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission Society (KRTMS).
Launched in 2008 to promote sustainable and inclusive tourism initiatives, the KRTMS in Kerala has evolved into a massive grassroots network with 25,188 registered units, of which 17,632 units are either owned or led by women. So far, approximately 52,344 people have directly and 98,432 people indirectly benefited from its activities, mostly in rural areas. Over 150,000 families are now part of the project which has resonated well with domestic and foreign tourists.
Kerala’s RT initiative clinched WTM London’s Responsible Tourism Awards for STREET Project in 2022 and 2021. The state was also recognised at the national level when Kerala’s Kanthalloor in Idukki won India Tourism’s Best Tourism Village Gold Award in 2023.