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Enlightening about the climate change, celebrated author Amitav Ghosh said, “Tourism is a profound climate dependent industry. Tourism emissions are expected to grow 152% over the next two decades which is going to create a huge impact in the travel scenario due to a changing climate. The tourism activities that are likely to be hit will include skiing, beach tourism, coral reefs, sea fauna, because of the frequency in rain bombing, glacial collapse, heat waves, and flood events. Therefore, it’s highly recommended for the tourism industry across to introduce sustainable and responsible methods for practising tourism.”
On the future of responsible tourism in India and initiatives by Kerala Tourism, Dr Venu V, Principal Secretary, said, “We have to create a situation where an isolated attempt is just not enough and mainstreaming responsible tourism practise is implemented. For promoting responsible tourism, Kerala tourism has ‘Agenda Nine’. It focuses on waste management, planting trees, rainwater harvesting, organic farm produce, renewable energy, reducing the use of plastic, local procurement, livelihood opportunities and promoting art, craft & cuisine. All of us in Kerala are striving towards adopting a complete or partial mechanism that brings local benefits for local communities in the tourism ecosystem.”
The real challenges of RT were briefed by Dr Harold Goodwin, MD, Responsible Tourism Partnership & RT Advisor, WTM, London. He mentioned that the global issues that the responsible tourism industry is globally concerned are global carbon emissions and the usage of plastic. “Tourism is a social construct, having them together leads to certain core values attached to it which is based on equal input, output, outcomes and impacts. Local community and tourists should be equally involved with the growing demand of practising responsible tourism,” he said.
Garry Wilson, Managing Director, Product & Purchasing, TUI Group, commented, “Often people talk about the expensive practices to adopt sustainable initiatives. It is very important that everyone involved in tourism really understands their responsibilities to ensure that we are able to reach out to sustainable initiatives. We believe that sustainability is not an initiative but a hygiene factor.”
Nikhil Ganju, Country Manager, TripAdvisor, also highlighted on its Green Leaders Programme, which has 11,000 accommodations across the globe and certified that enables its travellers to identify properties that are practicing sustainable and responsible tourism.
Dr Sanjay Singh, General Manager, Chhattisgarh Tourism Board, informed, “The two initiatives that we have taken up are Solar Energy and Building Resorts from Logs. The advantages of being a solar energy resort are that we have got plenty of opportunities under eco-ethno tourism, which has sustainable energy transformed. We are building log huts, which has Chinese imported wood; through this one can build resorts of about 30 rooms in a span of three to four months.”
The awards were as follows:
1. Best contribution to wildlife conservation
GOLD: Snow Leopard Conservancy-India Trust
SILVER: Madras Crocodile Bank Trust & Centre for Herpetology
2. Best for cultural immersion
GOLD: The Blue Yonder
SILVER: Rural Pleasure
3. Best community-based homestay project
GOLD: Biksthang Heritage Farmhouse
SILVER: Kabani Community Tourism & Service
SILVER: Daragaon Village Retreat (Gurung Homestay)
4. Best innovation by a tour operator
GOLD: Planet Abled
SILVER: Grassroutes Journeys
5. Best built-heritage conservation
GOLD: Arco Iris
Source: travelnewsdigest.in