Kerala adopts 'Responsbile Tourism' to help local community

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala Government has adopted 'Responsible Tourism' as a policy to ensure that local community benefited from the sector and that it did not cause environmental hazards, a state minister said on Tuesday.

The thrust of the concept was that local community had a key role to play in tourism development and enjoy its benefits, which now mostly went to tour operators and traders, Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan informed the Assembly
on Tuesday.

For instance, people in a tourist area could produce and provide basic items like vegetables and meat required by the industry. Also, they had a responsibility to protect the environs from degradation due to tourist arrivals.

The government had plans to promote rural and farm tourism in a big way since the state's natural beauty was a major attraction for the visitors.

Similarly, the Backwaters Tourism had been fast emerging as a thrust area and steps for safety of the visitors would be stepped up.

Encroachment of public property by private interests in the name of tourism would be sternly dealt with.

Master plans would be drawn up for development of new areas including the upland Wayanad district, Balakrishnan added.