Kerala Earns Global Responsible Tourism Award 2023

• 08 Nov 2023

Recently, Kerala, India, has clinched the esteemed Global Responsible Tourism Award 2023, affirming the success of the state's Responsible Tourism Mission (RTM) in promoting sustainability and women's inclusion.

Key Points

• Award Category: Kerala received the award in the "Best for Local Sourcing, Food and Craft" category, presented by the Responsible Tourism Partnership and International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT).
• Recognition for Inclusivity: The state's RT Mission was honoured for its outstanding efforts in linking women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to tourism activities and effectively marketing indigenous products.
• Joint Winner: Kerala RTM shared the award with Eswatini, a Southern African country known for its eco-friendly Ngwenya Glass.
• UN Women Support: The Kerala RT Mission has been implementing women-friendly tourism projects with the support of UN Women, an organization dedicated to gender equality and women's empowerment.
• Previous Recognitions: This marks the second time Kerala RTM has received the Responsible Tourism Global Award, following its Water STREET project's success in the previous year.
• Additionally, RTM received the 'Gold' award from the Government of India and the 'Gold' award from ICRT this year.
• Promoting Local Cuisine: The award jury acknowledged RTM's efforts to promote ethnic and traditional foods of various localities through tourism.
• This includes providing authentic local food experiences in local homes for tourists, which generates additional income for local communities.
• Widespread Impact: Approximately 25,000 households in Kerala are benefiting from the activities of the Responsible Tourism Mission in the state.