In a significant update to the Kerala Responsible Tourism (RT) Declaration of 2008, the State has decided to implement RT as a popular programme on the lines of its literacy movement and decentralised planning.
A declaration to this effect was drafted on the basis of ideas and proposals that emerged during two days of discussions at the Global Responsible Tourism Summit.
The 2023 Declaration, which was signed by Kerala Tourism Principal Secretary K.S. Srinivas and Responsible Tourism Partnership & ICRT International Founder Harold Goodwin, lays stress on three kinds of responsibilities — social, economic and environmental.
Economic impacts
A vital guiding principle will be regular assessment of economic impacts before developing tourism. Preference will be given to initiatives that benefit local communities and minimise negative impacts on livelihoods. The declaration calls for maximum economic benefits to the residents near any project.
As for social responsibilities, local communities should be involved in planning, decision-making and capacity-building. To strengthen gender equality and ensure safe destinations for women as both hosts and guests, the State RT Mission will work with civic bodies and the U.N. Women in all the programmes.
Climate change
Under environmental responsibilities amid alarming climate change, the RT Mission will accord high priority to reducing green-house gas emissions. “Communities need investment to adapt to the consequences of climate change generated beyond Kerala,” it says, urging for sustainable use of resources amid minimal waste, particularly plastic, and optimal consumption. Priority will be given to the restoration of buildings instead of building new ones.
