Tourism Sector Promises Big Openings for Women: Experts

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM:
Integrated planning is vital to enhance the participation of women in key sectors including tourism, which promises big opportunities for women, experts said at a seminar on “Tourism Sector and Women-friendly development” here today.

The seminar was held on the sidelines of the ongoing Responsible Tourism Festival, organized by Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission Society with the support of the State Tourism Department at Kanakakkunnu Palace here.

Adoption of comprehensive and integrated strategies is essential for Inclusion of women in all social and economic sectors, marking a shift from the traditional approach of considering each domain separately, said Mini Sukumar, Member, Kerala State Planning Board.

“Women empowerment is not an issue to be approached in isolation or limited to certain specific areas. It should be integrated well into the social and economic policies to make the development of a society total and inclusive,” Mini Sukumar said.

Tourism holds immense scope for such a transformation as its activities stretch across the entire spectrum of the economy, she observed.

Tourism is a fast-growing sector in Kerala and the state’s upfront women-friendly tourism policy has imparted a further momentum to the growth. It has a high potential to generate jobs. This marks tourism as a major domain where women can gainfully and safely engage themselves, Mini Sukumar pointed out.

Tourism has become a highly promising segment for women in Kerala as entrepreneurs and service providers. Kerala’s RT initiative has made major strides in promoting gender-inclusive tourism through its diverse schemes, Kerala RT Mission Society CEO Rupesh Kumar, who anchored the seminar, said.

For any successful tourism brand, it is important to ensure that women can travel safely, said travel blogger Remya S Anand.

High standards of guest relations, quality of accommodation, hygiene of destinations and safety are key parameters of a successful tourism brand. This has been underscored by Kerala’s gender-inclusive tourism policy, Anand noted.

The attitude of the society is critical for the success of women-friendly tourism initiatives, said documentary filmmaker and traveler Bindu Sajan.

Since tourism is one of the sectors that recorded high growth in Kerala in recent years it offers lot of scope for women as entrepreneurs and service providers, she added.

The five-day RT festival has brought together RT units from across Kerala to showcase their initiatives that took tourism to the grassroot levels as a sustainable and inclusive activity.

A range of traditional products and artifacts, bearing the imprint of RT units from different parts Kerala, are exhibited at the festival, which has around 120 stalls selling products made by members and artisans of RT units.