There is a state in Asia that is taking the lead in turning tourism into an effective instrument for local sustainable development. Their Tourism Board has developed a very comprehensive project which, in innovative ways, places the rural and indigenous communities at the centre of a renewed tourism universe under construction.
Madhya Pradesh’s so-called Responsible Tourism Mission (RT Mission) is strongly rooted in the Cape Town Declaration of 2002, which defines Responsible Tourism as “tourism that makes better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit” and it has made this its very own motto.
Following the inspiring example of neighbouring Kerala, an ‘older player’ in this journey, from the heart of India, Madhya Pradesh (MP) has been paving the way, leading by example, in showing a way for governments to implement community inclusion and foster empowerment for widespread societal benefits.
A complex system with deep roots
On my recent trip to MP, working directly with the State Tourism Board and implementing Community Storytelling capacity-building through my company Traveller Storyteller, under the umbrella of the RT Mission, I observed at close range some of the impacts that the RT Mission is achieving, concerning community engagement and development. The scope and the magnitude of the overall work are impressive, and it is easy to lose track of the complex system in place.
In terms of gender equality impact, it is calculated that 75,000 women will be involved in the future, and 300 villages will benefit from it. Of the first 100 villages currently identified, 30 have already started to implement the RT Mission, which will provide 10,000 direct and indirect employment opportunities. A clear strategy directs this long-term commitment of the State to its people.
“By working with the community in and around the tourist cities, Madhya Pradesh ensures the benefits of localswhile making the tourists aware of their heritage, culture, and customs.” The mission’s objectives clearly show what the focus of the project is and the importance of the well-being of the rural communities, their identity and the environment they are living in.
Tourism is seen as a tool, not a goal in itself; social and economic development is intended to be achieved through local employment; there is an interest in protecting and conserving natural and cultural resources and a real concern for more efficient use of them. Last, but not least, the objectives show extreme care in the way communities perceive themselves and their rich cultural heritage, and overall, the ultimate goal is for them to feel proud of their roots and inspired to share them with the visitors in an engaging and festive way.
Cultural diversity enhanced and empowered
One element that sets this colossal government project apart is the emphasis on the recognition and celebration of the state’s cultural diversity. This doesn’t apply only to the conservation of the current four and the ‘tentative’ new six UNESCO World Heritage sites and cultural traditions from the glorious past – it also includes the lively diversity of the cultural identity of the place.
Probably, not everyone knows that Madhya Pradesh is the state with the highest population of tribal people in India, 15.31 million, which is equivalent to more than 20% of the state’s total population, according to the 2011 census. There are 46 ethnic tribes currently living in MP who are part of the six tribal groups, the Bhil – the largest and most well-known, together with the Gond and the Baiga tribes. Tribal Belts is the name of the three regions mostly populated by Indigenous tribes; they are the Eastern, Southern and Western Belts, which are proudly presented and included in the RT Mission.
The partition of the state into six cultural zones takes into account the existence of this vast cultural diversity. However, it does not limit it to the ancestral Indigenous people, and it extends it to include all the other kinds of cultural expressions practised in the rural environment across religious beliefs and spiritual practices.
With a total of 600,000 villages in India, Madhya Pradesh’s focus on the rural environment is the winning choice for a broad economic impact from tourism, also in terms of product diversification. With such a vast population and varying cultural realities, Community-Based Tourism projects and enterprises led and managed by community members, are the most suitable answer for local sustainable development in rural areas.
