The Hindu Business Line : Call for more efforts for sustainable, responsible tourism initiatives

The second International conference on responsible tourism in destinations has called for concerted efforts for promotion of sustainable and responsible tourism initiatives worldwide.

In his presidential address at the four-day conference here on Friday, Mr Shilabhadra Banerjee, Union Tourism Secretary, pointed out that climate changes in the world is a challenge faced by the tourism sector and the industry should take it as a serious subject.

Responsible Tourism (RT) can also be considered as a way to show the world how to preserve natural resources without affecting the environment. He pointed out that RT is crucial for the very survival of the tourism industry as it would not deplete natural resources and sustain country’s cultural heritage.

Rural tourism

The Tourism Ministry, he said, is also taking efforts to bring greater focus on rural tourism, as it positions life in rural India as a unique visitor experience while improving the rural economy. Towards this objective, the Ministry has partnered with the UNDP in the innovative Rural Tourism project in 36 rural sites in 20 States.

The main objective of the scheme is to pass on the socio economic benefits of tourism to rural areas, he said adding that local handicrafts, culture and heritage are being showcased in partnership with local NGOs and village youth.

Foreign tourists

The country had hosted five million foreign tourists in 2007, an increase of 12 per cent over 2006 and this trend expected to continue in 2008 as more foreign tourists are heading for India than ever before. While tourism in the country has reason to celebrate, it is also time to reflect on its impact. This makes adopting RT practices crucial for ensuring sustained growth, he added.

Earlier, inaugurating the conference, the State Tourism Minister, Mr Kodiyeri Balakrishnan, said that the State’s RT initiatives had accessed momentum through systematic planning and professional interventions and it has presented a good model before the world covering all aspects of RT in social, economic and environmental themes.

The State, he said, has also put in place a State-level RT committee and RT practices in four destinations – Kovalam, Kumarakom, Thekkady and Wayanad – on a pilot basis and also formed destination level committees to implement RT at the local level.

Novel projects

The State is also aiming for the formation of novel projects by compiling traditional industrial sector and agricultural and cultural fields with tourism. There are also plans to start handicrafts and heritage villages for the benefit of labourers in these sectors, he added.

Kerala, which has emerged as the market leader in the Indian tourism industry, has been recognised as a pioneer and trend setter in Indian tourism. The World Travel and Tourism Council has forecast that Kerala will record 11.6 per cent annual growth in tourism during the coming decade, the highest in the world for any tourism destination, the Minister said.

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