THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, 8 March 2008 — Experts from 20 countries including the UK, Germany, Gambia, South Africa, Malaysia, Sri Lanka and Bhutan will be converging on Kochi later this month to lend support to Kerala’s new initiative — responsible tourism.

They will discuss issues such as economic development and poverty reduction, responsibility for destination sustainability and travel philanthropy and the role of government, at the second International Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations.

“Kerala has successfully implemented responsible tourism practices and is home to several working models, contributing to enriching the environment and the local community. The meeting is going to be a tribute to these initiatives,” Tourism Minister Kodiyeri Balakrishnan said.

Around 400 delegates are expected to attend the four-day meet beginning March 21 at the Le Meridien International Convention Center to learn about the latest developments and practices in Responsible Tourism.

The first conference in Cape Town, held along with the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg in 2002, was attended by 280 delegates including representatives of tour operators, national parks, conservation authorities, tourism professionals, NGOs and hotel groups.

“This second international conference is designed to create awareness among operators, hoteliers, governments, local people and tourists to take responsibility and action to make tourism more sustainable,” Balakrishnan said. “These stakeholders from Africa, North and South America, Europe and Asia will sit together to discuss the need to spread the idea world over”.

The initiative is to minimize negative economic, environmental and social impacts and to generate greater economic benefits for local community, besides improving working conditions and access to the industry.

“Local people are involved in decisions that affect their lives and make positive contributions to the conservation of natural and cultural heritage and thereby maintain world’s diversity,” he said.

Since 2002, there have been many initiatives at national and local level that have pushed forward the responsible tourism agenda. The concerns of those in the tourism industry with regard to the relatively new idea of responsible travel and responsible tourism will be answered by experts who have already implemented many of these new concepts.

“It’ll help us keep pace with international trends toward best practices and gain market advantage,” said Tourism Secretary Dr. Venu V. “Delegates will get the chance to visit sites like home-stays, heritage precincts, farms and local entrepreneurs which are models of responsible tourism practices.”

Kumbalangi, Fort Kochi, Kumarakom and Mattancherry are some of the places that will be showcased. Operators in the Kerala tourism sector will also share their experiences in making the state a Responsible Tourism destination.

The conference will be co-chaired by Dr. Venu and Professor Harold Goodwin, director, International Center for Responsible Tourism (ICRT), at Leeds Metropolitan University.

“Responsible Tourism in its purest sense is an industry which attempts to make a low impact on the environment and local culture, while helping to generate income, employment, and the conservation of local ecosystems. It’s an industry that is both ecologically and culturally sensitive,” Dr. Venu said

The conference is organized by Kerala Tourism and the International Center for Responsible Tourism (India) with India Tourism as partner. Kerala is as famous for its ecotourism initiatives as its beaches, backwaters, hill stations and ayurveda.

The tourism industry is a major contributor to the state’s economy and Kerala Tourism is a global super brand and regarded as one of the destinations with the highest brand recall.

Arrivals of foreign holidaymakers have recorded an impressive 20.37 percent growth in 2007 while the domestic tourist arrivals registered a moderate growth of about six percent. In 2003, Kerala became the fastest growing tourism destination in the world and today, it is one of the most visited tourism destinations in India.

GSDP Rises Marginally

Kerala’s Gross State Domestic Product (GSDP) grew marginally to 8.1 percent in 2007 from eight percent recorded in the previous year.

According to the Economic Review-2007 of the State Planning Board, the high growth rate came together with reduced rural distress with no farmer suicide being reported in the second half of the year thanks to the Debt Relief Commission that brought substantial hopes to the distressed peasants.

The review adds that the revival of the world market prices of a variety of cash crops too had helped, although the revival was already under threat because of the rupee’s appreciation against the greenback and the fears of slowdown in the world economy.

“Debt relief, together with the provision of an assured remunerative price of Rs9 per kilogram for paddy and the scrupulous implementation of the National Rural Employment Guarantee scheme in the poorest districts of the state, has brought some amelioration in rural distress,” the review said. The GSDP at factor cost at constant (1999-2000) prices was estimated at Rs.1068.33 billion as against the provisional estimate of Rs.988.17 billion during 2005-06, registering a growth of 8.1 percent in 2006-07.