Dear Sudheer, "Responsible Tourism" is another term used by kerala Tourism for it's marketing, especially in the UK market.
The Responsibility Tourism intitative of Kerala Tourism mainly dealt with the responsibility of various stakeholders in further development of tourism within the state. But at the same time, they became mute on issues such as the constitutional rights of the Panchayat Raj Institutions, Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) violations by hotels and resorts, backwater pollution by the houseboats and tourism industry and various social issues. Who is responsible for these damages? And for effectively addressing these problems? The Responsible Tourism initiative must start from a larger debate on the true nature of tourism development in the state, on its questionable economic contributions and its negative impacts upon vulnerable communities and Kerala's fragile environment. After Munnar Operation government announced that it will be a special Tourism zone (same lines of SEZ & a mix with the destructive development we seen earlier in Bakel without SEZ nomes) & Posted advertisements for a Munnar Challenge. Kerala Tourism started this campaign with a workshop on Kerala tourism organised by Tourism dpartment with some NGOs. Tourism Minister Announced STZin the same meeting. How the proposal for the STZ would match with the theory of "Responsible Tourism"? Foreign consultants with dubious credentials ( People Like Harold Goodwin) have either been approached by the government or have volunteered to showcase Kerala as an example of "Responsible Tourism" while no serious steps have been taken to even remedy the environmental and social damages created by irresponsible tourism development in State in the past four decades. We a collective of Concerned individuals & Civil Society groups Campaigned on the issue in the banner of ForumKerala On Last February & Submitted an Open letter to chiefminister on This. You can Find it on February 2007 archives of this list Also link it with Theeradesa mahilavedi's(Fisher women's group of Kerala Indepenten Fishworkers federation) statement& protest against World tourism day's this years campaign statement "Tourism Opens doors to women" Also posted on this list in September end ~ Regards Anivar Aravind Sudhir Devadas wrote: > Economic Times Chennai; Date:2007 Oct 10; Section:Economy; Page Number 16 > *Kerala gives 'responsible' spin to tourism* > > > Bindu D Menon CHENNAI > > > KERALA Tourism is initiating steps to promote 'Responsible Toursim' > in a big way. Touted as panacea to generate employment at grassroot > level, it is also being looked as a potential greenbuck earner for the > state exchequer. > "Responsible Tourism recognises that the economic responsibility of > tourism lies in its ability to generate employment, especially at the > village grass-roots level. This is to be done by local sourcing of > materials required by tourism industry. Social responsibility includes > sensitising tourists to local norms and culture and strengthening basic > amenities and social infrastructure," Kerala tourism director Sanjay > Kaul told ET on the sidelines of a roadshow. > Presently implemented on a pilot basis in Kovalam, Thekkady, Wayanad > and Kumarakaom, Responsible Tourism encompasses the judicious use of > natural resources, effective waste management practices and pollution > control mechanism, he said. A 40-member Destination Management > Coordination Committee was formed during the two-day workshop held in > February earlier this year to facilitate Responsible Tourism. A similar > international conference will be held in March, 2008. > A cell comprising a team leader, project assistant and a computer expert > would be set up in the Tourism Directorate at the local level in the > four destinations. It would identify the social, cultural, economic and > environmental indicators. Destination-level co-ordination committees and > local working groups are also being set up. > This apart agreements will also be signed with local service providers > and tourism industry partners. This would definitely boost the to income > and employment in the region. > "The spin-off effect of toursim should go to the stakeholders who have > to produce documentary proof to obtain incentives from the department. > Local SHGs like Kudumbsree will carry out a survey on the local resource > available and would also take up the responsibilty to ensure quality and > timely delivery of food materials to the hotels," Mr Kaul said. > Meanwhile, international tourist arrival to Kerala recorded a > significant 25.8% increase over the previous year while domestic tourist > arrival marked a 7.95% increase. Mr Kaul said the state government has > also introduced several initiatives to sustain the tourism momentum. > It has allocated Rs 100 crore as tourism budget. Of this the nodal > agency has earmarked Rs 15 crore on branding and marketing initiatives, > he added. > Kerala tourism board is also promoting hitherto untapped areas like > Malabar for enhancing its tourist base. Besides this e-research > initiatives like Synergy quest — a feedback mechanism from tourist — is > also being developed. > On the shortfall in number of quality rooms, Mr Kaul said six new > hotel projects are coming up and this will increase the strength to over > 1,000 rooms in next two years. The government is also promoting the > concept of homestays. It is targetting 1,000 classified homestays by > March, 2008. > bindu. [EMAIL PROTECTED] com > > > > --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
