The Hindu Business Line : Kerala to change norms for land acquisition

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Thiruvananthapuram Feb. 2 The State Government will adopt a different approach to the acquisition of land for tourism purposes, said the Kerala Tourism Minister, Mr Kodiyeri Balakrishnan.

Inaugurating a workshop on responsible tourism in the city today, he said that people displaced by the acquisition of land for tourism projects would be rehabilitated in the same locality.

Efforts would also be made to ensure that people displaced by tourism projects find employment in the tourism sector. Commenting on special economic zones for the tourism industry, he added that a special strategy must be developed for Kerala.

Local communities must benefit from tourism, Mr Balakrishnan emphasised. In order to achieve this objective, the Kerala Government is taking steps to involve local self-Government institutions and self-help groups in tourism development, he explained. Projects like `my village, a tourism friendly village' are part of this effort, he added.

The culture and tourism departments of Kerala will work together to promote the State's traditional art forms, the Minister said. Responsible tourism will be the underlying principle of Kerala's new tourism policy that will be announced soon, he added.

In a presentation on `Responsible tourism-global perspective', Dr Harold Goodwin, Professor of Responsible Tourism Management, Leeds Metropolitan University of the UK, said that responsible tourism is essentially about "better places for people to live in and better places for people to visit."

Real Opportunity

While there are some principles of responsible tourism, they do not constitute a blueprint, he emphasised. It is for the local people to define the issues in their place, he said. Dr Goodwin, who is also the Director of the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT), added that there is a real opportunity for Kerala to benefit from an engagement with responsible tourism.

Explaining the rationale for the workshop, Dr V. Venu, Secretary-Tourism, Government of Kerala, said that the State has strong foundations for a responsible tourism effort, despite challenges like unregulated development in tourism centres. The workshop, organised by Kerala Tourism in association with ICRT-India and EQUATIONS, is expected to create a consensus on a responsible tourism strategy for Kerala, he added.

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