In 2008 Dr Venu, then Secretary of Tourism, hosted the 2nd International Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations. There was conserabel disquiet in the backwater villages of “God’s Own Country” about the arrival of increasing numbers of tourists in the villages. The villagers were not benefitting from the arrival of tourists attracted to stay in the resorts. Most of the resorts were not purchasing produce from the farmers and fishers who lived and worked nearby. Nor were the villagers able to engage with the tourists.
Rupesh Kumar, Kerala’s Responsible Tourism leader, signing the Responsible Tourism Charter © Harold Goodwin
Kerala‘s Responsible Tourism Mission has worked tirelessly to create economic opportunities for the villagers. By applying the principles of Responsible Tourism, the Mission has ensured that the community and their natural and cultural environment is no longer used by tourism. Now the community is working with their local government, the panchayats, to use tourism to make better places for people to live in. The resort accommodation owners and tour operators have engaged, responding to the increasing demand for authentic experiences engaging local people and their culture. In January, Kerala was the only Indian state recognised in the New York Times 52 best places to visit in 2023 – Kumarakom, Maravanthuruthu and Vaikom.
The 2022 Responsible Tourism Charter was signed on Charter on Magna Carta Island opposite Runnymede on the Thames west of London in November. It updates the 2002 Cape Town Declaration addressing climate change and plastic pollution and drawing on twenty years of the Responsible Tourism Awards and experience in implementation around the globe.
An enthusiastic curtain raiser for the first Global Summit on Responsible Tourism, Kerala. #keralatourism #responsibletourism #globalsummit pic.twitter.com/rra5B3Uggr
— PA Mohamed Riyas (@riyasdyfi) February 26, 2023
At Kumarakom, the birthplace of Responsible Tourism in India, the government of Kerala launched a new Kerala Declaration last week at the Ist Global Responsible Tourism Summit, the first part of which is the international Responsible Tourism Charter. The second part details how the Charter will be applied in Kerala as the Responsible Tourism Mission, under Rupesh Kumar’s leadership, is tasked to roll out the tried and tested approach across the state.
In January, the Kerala State Government approved a draft Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations for the formation of the Responsible Tourism (RT) Mission as a Society. The Minister of Tourism will be the Chair and the Tourism Secretary will be the Vice Chair. Rupesh Kumar, the existing RT mission coordinator, will be the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Responsible Tourism Society. The Society will continue to be funded by the government, and it will be easier to secure funding from other sources.
We now want to transform the whole of Kerala into an interconnected tourist haven where visitors get plenty of choices and diverse experiences.
Mohamed Riyas, Kerala Tourism Minister
“All this will make a trip to Kerala a wholesome experience for visitors looking for diverse experiences, be it a stay in a houseboat or caravan, ecologically responsible adventure activities, visits to heritage and cultural centres,” said Mohamed Riyas, Kerala Tourism Minister.
The Hindu reported that the RT Mission will become the first government-owned society in the State to provide training, marketing, and other support systems to local communities to start various initiatives in the tourism sector…”
