TTT NEWS NETWORK
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 27 SEPTEMBER 2024:
In top honours for Kerala on World Tourism Day, 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 and Kumarakom respectively.
This is for the second consecutive year that Kerala is receiving top honours of Tourism Village Awards instituted by the Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, after Kanthalloor in Idukki district bagging the Gold Award last year. The awards were presented by Union Minister for Tourism and Culture , Mr. Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in the presence of the Vice President of India Mr. Jagdeep Dhankhar at a function held at Vigyan Bhavan in New Delhi today to mark the World Tourism Day.
The awards were received by Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission (KRTM) Society CEO Shri K Rupeshkumar, Kadalundi Grama Panchayat President Smt Anusha V V and Kumarakom Grama Panchayat President Smt 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 Kumarakom in Kottayam district, 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.
“These awards clearly acknowledge that Kerala has set a successful model before the entire nation on how tourism is to be promoted by complying to sustainable and inclusive goals, which have become all the more relevant now,” said Kerala Tourism Minister , Mr. P A Mohamed Riyas, patting KRTM for its dedicated work.
“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, Mr. 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 is vitalas its emphasis is on evolving responsible, ethical and inclusive development models,” said Tourism Director Smt 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 increase 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.
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 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 fishing experience, farming experience and a day with a farmer, complete with a stroll through the green paddy fields.
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