Kerala to be Made Safest Tourism Destination for Women: Tourism Minister

IDUKKI:
The government will draft a special policy to make the tourism sector completely women-friendly aimed at making Kerala the safest tourism destination in the world, Tourism Minister P.A. Mohamed Riyas said today.

In the run-up to this mission, an audit report has been prepared on the prevailing women-friendly environment in the state’s tourism sector. It is being presented at the Global Women Conference on Gender Inclusive and Responsible Tourism, the Minister revealed after inaugurating the three-day event at Mankulam near Munnar in this hill district.

“International experts are participating in the conference. We will be taking further steps based on the important discussions taking place here,” Riyas pointed out at the conference being organised by the Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission Society (KRTMS) on behalf of Kerala Tourism and UN Women. This is the world’s first-ever Responsible Tourism conference with focus on gender inclusivity and women-friendliness.

Devikulam MLA A Raja, who presided over the function, said the activities of Kerala Tourism with trust and participation of the local community is a model for other regions.

Idukki MP Dean Kuriakose in his address said that it is a matter of pride that an important global conference related to gender justice is being held in Idukki, which is internationally renowned as a prime tourism destination.

International Centre for Responsible Tourism Global Chairman Dr Harold Goodwin in his keynote address said that Kerala has been the lone state in the world that has shown the courage to present a gender audit before coming up with a gender inclusive policy for tourism. Kerala has “undoubtedly” emerged on to the forefront of responsible tourism in the world. The state’s commitment to democracy has been the factor behind this achievement, he added in his address.

Kerala Tourism Secretary Biju K said that the Tourism department, apart from creating a completely safe tourist environment for women, has been trying to implement gender justice in its broader sense. “With the participation of leading politicians in the country along with international experts in this field, we look forward to a policy formulation that can be a model for the world altogether,” he added.

Kerala Tourism Director Sikha Surendran, while presenting the first ever Gender Audit Report in Tourism by any state conducted by UN Women and the Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission Society, said authorities plan to conduct audits at regular intervals in the coming years. “We will seek to know the response of women tourists so as to periodically review the women-friendly activities and improve on them,” she added.

State Responsible Tourism Mission Society CEO Rupeshkumar K termed the conference as a “significant milestone” in the government’s efforts to ensure 100 percent gender justice and safe travel for women. With prominent personalities in the field of world tourism participating, the conference will mirror Kerala’s social commitment before the nations of the world,” he added.

Other participants at the session included State Planning Board Member Mini Sukumar, Kerala Travel Mart Secretary S Swaminathan, UN Women Kerala Coordinator Dr Peeja Rajan and representatives of civic bodies.

In addition to the main sessions, a three-day exhibition and a B2B networking session is also being organized creating opportunities for collaborations besides fostering a dynamic environment for partnership-building and exchanging innovative ideas among participants.

Women entrepreneurs and grassroots heroines in the tourism sector will also be celebrated and honoured at the Global Women Conference.

Since its inception in 2008, Kerala’s RT initiative has evolved into a massive grassroots network with 25,188 registered units, of which 17,632 are owned or led by women. More than 52,000 people directly and 98,432 indirectly have benefited from its activities, mostly in rural areas. The RT projects also promote art, craft, and traditional livelihoods, apart from having earned numerous national and international honours.