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The representatives and administrative staff of Kanthalloor village panchayat in Idukki district of Kerala were felicitated for bagging the prestigious ‘Gold’ award of the Government of India for the Best Rural Tourism Projects.
Speaking on the occasion, Tourism Minister Shri P. A. Mohamed Riyas said that the state government is making relentless efforts to turn every village in the state into a sterling model of sustainable and inclusive experiential tourism.
“Villages and local communities can contribute immensely to the government’s relentless efforts to turn Kerala into a major experiential tourism hub,” Shri Riyas said.
The minister handed over the national honour received by the state to Kanthalloor village panchayat president Shri P. T. Mohandas.
Praising the joint efforts of the state’s Responsible Tourism Mission (RTM) and Kanthalloor panchayat, the minister said that the activities successfully carried out in the panchayat have set an exemplary model for promoting sustainable and inclusive tourism development.
Kanthalloor, where the STREET (Sustainable, Tangible, Responsible, Experiential, Ethnic Tourism) tourism project of the RTM was implemented, won the honour after an eight-month-long extensive evaluation of rural village projects in the country.
The ‘Best Tourism Village Competition’ was conducted with the aim of making tourism a major driver of rural development and community well-being by identifying villages committed to activities that promote economic, social and environmental sustainability.
“Kanthalloor already holds the distinction of being the country’s first panchayat to implement women-friendly tourism, for which several programmes were held in collaboration with UN Women. As part of this, the ‘destination security’ scheme was implemented and special women’s tour packages were drawn up,” Shri Riyas said.
The minister added that the panchayat stands as the first rural local body to implement a tourism project utilising the plan fund.
Tourism Director Shri P. B. Nooh urged the panchayats in the state to engage in activities that further explore the immense potential of the state's rural tourism.
“Projecting Kerala’s unique topographical features, hospitality, traditional cuisine, culture, communal harmony and lifestyle before the tourists will benefit the local community, thus expanding the possibilities of Kerala Tourism to come up with unique and innovative products in the future," he said.
