Responsible Tourism Fest in City from Feb 11 to 15

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Showcasing major strides made by the state as a globally-acclaimed experiential tourism destination, Kerala Responsible Tourism Festival will be held at Kanakakkunnu Palace grounds in the city from February 11 to 15.

Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas will inaugurate the five-day festival, which will serve as a venue for RT units from across Kerala to display their initiatives that took tourism to the grassroot levels as a sustainable and inclusive economic activity with active participation of local communities.

The event is organized by the Responsible Tourism Mission Society with support from the state Department of Tourism.

The festival will exhibit a wide range of traditional products and artifacts, bearing the imprint of RT units from different parts Kerala. The event will have around 120 stalls selling products made by members and artisans of RT units.

V K Prasanth MLA will preside over the inaugural function in which Shashi Tharoor MP; AA Rahim MP andi VV Rajesh, Mayor, Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Corporation will be the chief guests. Tourism Director Sikha Surendran will deliver the welcome address.

S K Sajeesh, Chairman KTIL; Tourism Additional Director (General) Sreedhanya Suresh; K R Cleetus, Ward Councilor; Thiruvananthapuram Municipal Councillor, Rupeshkumar K, CEO Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission Society; Jose Pradeep, Chairman KTM Society, M R Narayanan, President, South Kerala Hoteliers Union; Baby Mathew Somatheeram, Member, Tourism Advisory Committee and Dr.Peeja Rajan, State coordinator UN Women will also be present.

“The festival prominently features women-led units since social and economic empowerment of women has been a major component of the Responsible Tourism movement in the state”, said Sikha Surendran IAS, Director, Department of Tourism.

Food stalls dishing out full-course meals and delicacies from different parts of Kerala at the festival promises visitors a rare opportunity to relish authentic cuisine from up north Kasaragod to the state capital.

“The festival will also feature cultural programmes presented by artists associated with the RT units, including a bamboo music ensemble. RT Mission is committed to keeping alive artistic and performing traditions of scores of villages and leveraging them as a key component for experiential tourism”, said Kerala RT Mission Society CEO Rupeshkumar K.