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‘Tourism sector catalyst for growth’

FRESH IMPETUS: Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan speaking at the launch of the Responsible Tourism Initiative at Kumarakom on Friday.

KUMARAKOM: The Responsible Tourism Initiative will help bring a qualitative change in the tourism industry in the State by transforming it into a mechanism to trigger inclusive growth of the economy, Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said.

Speaking on the occasion of the State-level launch of the Responsible Tourism Initiative here on Friday, Mr. Balakrishnan said the tourism sector had registered impressive growth since 1986 when it was recognised as an industry.

The total turnover was Rs.9,200 crore and job opportunities had breached the one-million mark this year. From being an entertainment industry for the middle and upper class, tourism had emerged as a catalyst for the State’s economic growth.

With the Responsible Tourism Initiative, the Department of Tourism was taking crucial steps to ensure that the economic, social and ecological issues of the local community were addressed by the industry, he said.

If the State failed to transform the achievements in the tourism industry into common achievements, it may lead to social imbalances in the future, he said and added that as such it was imperative to involve the local community in the functioning of the industry. The aim is to transform tourism into a people-friendly industry, he said.

Mr. Balakrishnan said Kudumbasree units and self-help groups would have a crucial role to play in establishing the linkage between society and the industry.

At Kumarakom, such groups would help bring farm products to the hotels.

The eco-tourism initiatives have succeeded in making the Adivasi community the beneficiaries in many destinations.

The government also has plans to establish craft villages so that the traditional craftsmen will benefit from the industry.

The Department is also exploring the possibility of starting a souvenir industry, he said.

It was also important to bring in a new tourism culture in the local community, he said. The initiative will make all stakeholders act more responsibly for the common benefit, he said.

Mr. Balakrishnan said the Responsible Tourism Initiative now being launched in Kumarakom, Kovalam, Thekkady and Wayanad districts would be overseen by the respective Destination Management and Development Councils. V.N. Vasavan, MLA, presided over the function.

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