After March loss, responsible tourism eyes quick revival

Salim Joseph | TNN | Apr 6, 2020, 04:40 IST

Thiruvananthapuram: The huge impact of Covid-19 pandemic on the tourism industry in Kerala, where the sector has come to a standstill like anywhere else in the world, has reflected in the state’s revenue from responsible tourism (RT) in March 2020. It was just Rs 67.96 lakh against around Rs 2 crore each generated during the previous months of 2019-20.
Total revenue earned by the local communities through RT units through the RT Mission across the state in 2019-20 is Rs 23.07 crore and the expenditure for RT activities is Rs 2.17 crore. This sustainable mode of tourism is likely to play a major role in reviving the sector post the Covid-19 disaster. The RT Mission had set a target revenue of Rs 15 crore in 2019-20.
“The total revenue earned by RT units from 2008 (since the launch of RT) to June 2017 was Rs 12 crore. The revenue was Rs 4.51 crore in 2017-18 and Rs 4.98 crore in 2018-19. But the revenue rose to Rs 23.07 crore in 2019-20,” said RT Mission state coordinator K Rupesh Kumar. The state has been spending between Rs 1.5 crore to Rs 2 crore for RT initiatives every year from 2008 to 2016.Also, 2019-20 registered a significant footfall, with 32,433 foreign and 16,584 domestic tourists availing RT packages during this financial year.
The RT Mission has chalked out a long-term action plan to revive the business, and it has been submitted to the tourism department for approval. “The immediate focus will be on packages which could lure domestic tourists, considering the time required to restore the inflow of foreign tourists,” Kumar said.
With all the accommodation units now remaining closed, only a few manufacturing units mainly into production of cloth bags — numbering around 10 in the state — are now active in producing masks to fight the virus infection. Currently, the state has 17,600 RT units which are involved in manufacturing, farming or other varied activities offering support to the tourism industry by supplying eco-friendly products and services. The number of direct or indirect beneficiaries stands at 92,637 (52,784 indirect and 39,853 direct beneficiaries).