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Kerala Tourism unveils norms for tourists, operators
Sankar Radhakrishnan
Thiruvananthapuram
,
Feb. 21
AS part of its efforts to promote responsible tourism, Kerala Tourism has unveiled a set of guidelines for travellers and tour operators in the State.
The guidelines are part of a multi-pronged strategy to move the tourism industry in Kerala towards responsible tourism based on conservation and preservation, explained Mr B. Suman, Director, Department of Tourism.
One aspect of the tourism department's responsible tourism strategy is to work with the hotel industry to promote this concept. In time, ecological considerations will be incorporated into the hotel classification and incentives system currently followed in the State, he pointed out.
As part of its responsible tourism strategy, Kerala Tourism also plans to create a certification scheme for tour operators, he said. This certification programme will include components that assess the `eco-friendliness' of tour operators, Mr Suman added.
Similarly, the tourism department plans to sensitise tourists to the need for responsible tourism through an information campaign.
The guidelines, which are posted on the Kerala Tourism Web site, touch on a number of simple but effective things that both tourists and tour operators can do to promote responsible tourism.
For tourists, the guidelines highlight simple things like the need to respect local customs and laws, rules to be followed in protected areas such as wildlife sanctuaries and so on. The guidelines for tour operators include the need for pre-departure briefings for tourists, safe practices to be followed while embarking on activities such as camping and so on.
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