Thiruvananthapuram, India
Kumarakom is a popular tourism destination located near the city of Kottayam (16 kilometres) in Kerala, India, famous for its backwater tourism.
A better earth: Responsible tourism will ‘create better places for people to live in, and better places to visit.’
Backwater destination of Kumarakom will be declared as a global destination for responsible tourism, seeking to link the local community with hospitality industry.
The declaration is likely to be made on June 29 after a two-day international conference on responsible tourism at Kumarakom.
The theme of the conference will be ‘Responsible tourism: Looking back, moving ahead,’ a spokesperson for Kerala Tourism and RT School@ KITTS (Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies), organisers, said.
Responsible tourism ‘creates better places for people to live in, and better places to visit’.
It seeks to reduce negative economic, environmental and social impacts; generate economic benefits for local people; and involve local people in decisions affecting their lives.
Kumarakom has forged ahead in establishing economic linkages through procurement of local products and providing employment opportunities to locals.
