The first draft of new tourism policy has received positive response from the state's tourism industry. What is especially encouraging about the draft policy is that it incorporates several long-standing demands of the tourism industry, said E M Najeeb, president of the Confederation of Kerala Tourism Industry. For instance, the draft says that Kerala Tourism will initiate discussions with political parties and trade unions to work out an arrangement by which the tourism sector will be exempted from hartals as per a report in TOI.
Developing the infrastructure required for tourism is a key focus area of the draft policy. As part of this, it envisages the development of infrastructure plans for key tourism destinations in the State. A new 'Kerala Waste Free Destination' campaign to clean up the state is another highlight of the draft policy. This campaign is to be developed in association with local bodies, NGOs and other stakeholders, said Venu V, tourism secretary.
Kerala Tourism would also address the human resources challenges facing the tourism industry by transforming the Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies into the state's main tourism education facility, he added. The draft also talks about steps to strengthen the responsible tourism movement in the state. This is part of the effort to ensure that tourism has a positive impact on a destination.
» Read Complete News.....(You need to login first to read complete news). New User? Register for FREE!
» Back to Travel News