Boost for Kerala tourism! Responsible Tourism Mission set to empower rural community; details

Big boost for Kerala rural tourism! Kerala plans to boost Rural tourism in India amidst the ongoing Coronavirus pandemic! With an aim to boost rural tourism and transform villages across the country, the Kerala government’s nodal agency ‘Responsible Tourism Mission’ has joined hands with NotOnMap to address the challenges faced by the tourism industry.

Responsible Tourism Mission was formed to encourage Responsible Tourism principles and practices that have led to the emergence of Kerala as a popular rural tourism destination. RupeshKumar K, State Coordinator, Kerala RT Mission hosted an event that was attended by Manoj Kumar Singh, Director (Skill), MP Tourism Board, Raj Basu, Advisor, Arunachal Tourism Board, Manisha Pande, Founding Member, ICRT India, and NotOnMap official.

The forum stressed the need to bring in all the elements of Rural Tourism under a common umbrella. They have also stepped in to help the local community generate income directly or indirectly from the sector and train them while looking for alternative approaches that have evolved against the negative impact of “mass tourism”. The forum focuses on three kinds of responsibilities – economic, environmental and social – which have been termed the “triple bottom line”. Most of the Responsible Tourism mission training is aimed at the womenfolk. The mission is providing women with an opportunity to work at home according to their convenience and earn a living out of it.

The prime objective of the initiative was to assist the rural communities, Kumar Anubhav, Founder and Director, NotOnMap, said. This will be done by capitalizing on untapped culture and value heritage in rural areas. Many industry experts are conceptualizing design and execute Project Travival. This project consisted of more than 150 training videos, Anubhav said.

The videos have been framed in over 18 regional languages divided into 12 modules for Homestay owners, village Panchayats, teachers, youth, and women of villages and travellers across India thus covering all stakeholders of “Rural Tourism” in India. The videos not only cover topics around homestay and personal safety and hygiene but also educate people on sustainable practices and homestay business during Covid-19. It is inclusive of all points by international bodies and the government guidelines, includes policies to be followed by the hosts to maintain a guaranteed safe stay.