Green Life India Solutions, Kochi© Presentation Conceived and Designed by Paul V Mathew, Mob: +91-9745482028.

Kerala Experiences and Lessons

LivelihoodSkill

Knowledge

Destination KumarakomRole of Industry in Responsible & Eco Tourism

Unregulated development regime

Degeneration of cultural heritage and social inequalities

Leakage of economic benefits to outside regions

Inadequate benefit to local community

Increased negative environmental impacts

While Tourism paves way for Development

… Negative Impacts also shall be noted

Community friendly

Genuine experiences

Meaningful Partnerships

Sustainable and Responsible

The Changing Scenario

The perceptions of the tourists are undergoing a

shift to experiential travel.

They seek unique experiences of the area they

visit.

These realizations opened more schools of thought in

the sector like:

Though the concept of Responsible Tourism was thereright from 1996, it was after the Capetown Declarationthat a detailed picture evolved.

World Tourism Organisation, then formulated a globalcode of ethics, which stressed on the necessary changesto take place in the nature of tourism and its impacts onsociety.

Essence of these documents is that since tourism istemporary visit to a local community, greater attention isto be paid to ensure that it poses no threat to the localcommunity.

Moving towards Responsible Tourism

What benefits do the local community receive when a tourist visits the place.

How does the tourism industry affects the environment of a particular region.

How tourism influences our culture and social relations

ECONOMIC

ENVIRONMENTAL

SOCIAL

The Triple Bottom Line of RT

Current Context Expected Output

Industry – Community Conflict

Industry – Community Cordial

No Community Involvement in Tourism

Active Community Involvement in Tourism

Development

No economic benefit for Local community

Generates economic benefit for Local community

High Negative Impacts towards Local life and

Culture

Minimised Negative impacts towards Host life and Culture

Positive impacts unreached Enhanced Positive Impacts

Non-Participatory planning and implementation

Participatory planning and implementation

Lack of Systematic Destination Planning

Systematic & Comprehensive Destination Planning

Unscientific practicesdamage environment

Scientific practices to preserve environment and

biodiversities

Economic

Socio-cultural

Environmental

RESPONSIBLE TOURISM

Key Players at Tourism Destination

Community Industry

Place

Economic

Destination

Characteristics of Key Players

Place• Natural/Built

Heritage

• Geographical features

• Environment features

• Biodiversities

Industry• Destination

Promotion & Marketing

• Hospitality services

• Travel Tourism Services

• Entertainments

• Events

Community• Host Lifestyle

• Art & Culture

• Ethnicity

• Traditions

Kerala - The God’s Own Country

Implementing RT in Kerala

1st Step

First Attempt of its kind in India:

State Level Consultation Workshop on RT Concept and Implementation Framework

February 2007 at Kanakakkunnu Palace, Thiruvananthapuram

Kovalam

Beach

Kumarakom

Backwaters

Thekkady

Forest & Wildlife

Wayanad

Nature & Ethnic life

RT - Pilot Destinations

• Hold destination level meetings participating tourism industry, local self government, Kudumbasree, other related government agencies, NGOs and local community representatives

Step 1:

• To conduct industry surveys and survey of local resources needed for resorts (Demand Vs Supply) and identify agreed industrial partners.

Step 2:

• Sign agreements with hoteliers for local procurementStep 3:

Proposed Steps for Implementation

Hotels are willing to purchase vegetables, milk, fruits, eggs and meat from locale.

There will be a regular demand from the hotels for the identified items.

Specific arrangements have to be made for regular supply of quality items.

There is demand for organic products.

Demand Side

Supply Side

Kudumbashree (State Poverty Eradication Mission) has come up with production and supply plan at destinations

Demand Analysis Survey

Evolving a PPP Model

• Policy Initiatives and support at all levels

• Liaison for the RT initiatives among partners and stakeholders

Dept. of Tourism/DTPC

• Lead role in field programme and Facilitate programme coordination at grass roots

• Provide financial and institutional support through plan schemes or linking to other sources

Local Bodies

• Purchase and promote local goods and services

• Integrate community activities and attractions to tour packages

• Provide platform for healthy linkages to benefit local community

• Adopt and promote healthy environment practices

Industry

• Active partner to coordinate production, procurement and supply of local goods

• Build capacity of micro enterprises towards product development/ diversification and value addition

Kudumbasree

• Preserve local culture, values and nature

• Enhance production of local goods and services

• Orient towards tourism friendly attitudes and practices

• Achieve capability to cater to the industry requirements

Local Community

Facilitation

GITPAC Intl. is the Tourism Planning and Consultancy Division of Air Travel Enterprises

Positioning

RT Technical Support Unit

Dept. of Tourism has selected and positioned Great India Tourism Planners and Consultants International (GITPAC Intl. ) for the management and coordination of

RT Initiatives Kerala Phase 1

Kumarakom

Kumarakom

Kumarakom

24.13 sq. km.

VembanadLake

15.04 sq. km. Land 1

12.50 sq. km. Paddy

fields

Total Area:51.67 sq. km.

Destination Features

Bird sanctuary home to 91 species of local and 50 species of migratory

birds

Only breeding area of Night Herons in 1970s

& early 80s

A number of mangrove species, of which three are reported only from

Kumarakom

The feeding and breeding grounds for numerous species of

fishes

Ecological Specialities/ Importance

Started with the lease of KTDC land in the

bird sanctuary area to Taj Kerala Resorts

Limited in the 1989

Flourished after the visit of former Prime

Minister A B Vajpayee in 2000

Tourism Development

Tourism Infrastructure & Employment

Type Beds Employment

Direct Indirect

Big Heritage Resorts (8) 580 740 324

Medium Type Hotels (7) 94 44 20

Lodges, Guest houses, home stays (21)

106

rooms

- -

Recreation Clubs (3) - 12 3

Micro enterprises – boats, parlours, taxi, etc.

- 170 0

Although the conversion of land reduced the agricultural yield and

employment, the temporary employment in the construction sector

and relatively higher wages earned, made the local workers happy

80% of the regular employees in big hotels appointed from outside

Kumarakom

Most of the local labourers lost their traditional occupation and those

displaced from the lands converted for tourism could not be compensated with

alternative jobs

Clustering of the resorts blocked access of Local people to Lake who depended it for household activities, fishing and

shell collection

Well received by the local people initially with the land value

increasing many folds

Impact due to Tourism Development

Economic Responsibility

Efforts in Field to Cater Industry Demands

Cultivation/ Production initiated

Project preparation and Ensuring Capital investment

Expert training

Selection of entrepreneurs/ groups

Enlisting product range which can be produced at Kumarakom

Trust building among community

Mass mobilization (Campaign Mode)

Response from Industry

Initially the Industry response was not productive and supporting

Only 3 hotels were agreed to purchase minimum produces

Doubt on range of produces and price

Doubt on quality

Doubt on Consistent supply

Doubt on meeting daily requirements

Issue on terminating regular retail suppliers

Issue on packaging/ branding/ tax

Intervention from Dept. of Tourism

Partner Meeting chaired by Tourism Secretary and had close to heart interaction with hoteliers

Gramapanchayath developed potential relationship with hoteliers

Partnership forum developed as a platform to discuss and resolve issues

Steps to leverage the RT concept to operation level staff of hotels

Systems in Place

Quality Committee (Incl. Hotel Chef, Agr. Officer, Vet. Surgeon & Health Inspector

Pricing Committee (incl. Supply Unit, Purchase staff of hotels and Panchayath)

Doubt on Tax issues cleared

Hotel staff visited the production units and farms to verify sourcing points

Product samples tested in hotels

Quality improvement suggestions

Calendar prepared to handle daily requirements

A Procurement – Supply Unit started for consistent supply

Impact

MoU signed with 15 hotels for local procurement

RT Official launch on March 14th

Supply started with 11 products

Hotels started flagging the dishes as local cuisine

Chance for the guest to visit the farms and units

Hotels started replacing vegetables and fruits to local ones

Value addition started on demand from hotels

After One Year

Stabilized Production Units

Efforts to meet the gap areas in demand – supply

Enhanced one to one with hoteliers

Strengthened Community rapport

Industry purchase still in Minimum quantity

15 hoteliers signed partnership agreement

But active partnership only from 8 to 10

Total revenue generated: 12 lakhs

20 Kudumbashree cultivation groups (250 women)

10 Farmers’ collective (450 men)

510 Homestead farming units

20 Micro Enterprises

Samrudhi RT Shop

Thank you

In this era of globalization knowledge is toonear to inquisitive minds that makes all thefar very near. To cop up with the emergingchallenges, people strive to unravel andgroom their latent talents. Amid competitionand rapid changes, the real bottom of thepyramid becomes marginalized. In thisjuncture, a luminous vision and a leadingmission can make a giant leap.Now Green Life India Solutions takes thenotion of inclusive and sustainabledevelopment.Let’s strive together for a better tomorrow.Faster, Sustainable and Inclusive Growthshould me our motto in the endeavor.

Thank You

Extending Support

• Resource Mapping Tools

• Empanelling Resource Persons

• Preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR)

• Local Sensitization Programs

• Resource Mobilization and Ancillary Supports

• Training and Development Projects

• Gap Assessment and Need Analysis Study

• Advising Infrastructure Solutions

• Green Projects Consultancy

• Course and Curriculum Design

Green Life India Solutions Kochi, 682311Mob: +91 – 9745482028

paulvmathew.hr@gmail.com