Scenes of thirsty travellers chug-a-lug plastic bottles of water or mounds of waste lying inches away along the river banks will soon be a thing of the past in Aymanom and Thiruvarppu, the two emerging village destinations located on the shores of Vembanad lake here.

Taking a cue from the backwater destination of Kumarakom, the villages in its neighbourhood have initiated a project to have its local community and the visitors more attuned to the social, economic and environmental impact of tourism. The effort, which spans across the different sectors, including transportation, waste and housing sectors, aims at turning them into Model Responsible Tourism (MRT) destinations.

Commenting on the initiative, K. Roopesh Kumar, coordinator, State Responsible Tourism Mission, said the objective was to establish a destination code of conduct for both the visitors as well as the local community.

According to him, the project envisages a structured development of the destinations before the uneasy balance between the visited and the visitors going beyond a tipping point. ‘‘To begin with, a carrying capacity study of each of the destinations and Special Tourism Grama Sabhas will be conducted. This will be followed with a mapping of the tourism resources in each of the destinations and implementation of carbon neutral initiatives,’’ he said.

For instance, the project in Aymanom envisages, among several other things, the protection of the sacred groves dotting the village by treating them as a potential tourism resource. Similarly, drinking water outlets will be established in selected house holds across the region to ensure adequate supply of clean drinking water, which in turn, will prompt the visitors to do away with carrying plastic bottles.

‘‘This helps in setting up a trend where environmentally sustainable outcomes are emphasised over mere `experience holidaying,’’ Mr. Roopesh said.

To encourage visitors to participate in the community, an online directory of the local tradition, including art forms, crafts and games will be set up with the support of the respective local bodies. So far, about 700 individuals in different units have already been registered with the registry.

As part of the initiative, as many as 58 home and farm stays have already been set up across the two villages, while several other groups of selected people are being imparted training in different area, including communication skills.

The initiative, according to authorities, has evoked a huge response from the local community.

‘‘While the project has just taken off at Thiruvarppu, the task at Aymanom is slated to be completed in a couple of months and the village will be declared as a MRT destination soon afterwards,’’ Mr. Roopesh said.