Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala’s responsible tourism (RT) initiative was recognised globally for strengthening women’s empowerment and supporting the rural economy through sustainable and inclusive initiatives and with community participation, said tourism minister PA Mohamed Riyas.Inaugurating the five-day Kerala Responsible Tourism Festival in the city, Riyas said that with 26,000 RT units across the state, around 1.5 lakh families were direct beneficiaries of the Responsible Tourism Mission’s various projects.
“The fact that 80% of RT units are led by women shows the success of Kerala’s gender-inclusive tourism and the state’s commitment towards the UN’s Gender Inclusive Tourism policy.” In the 2025-26 budget, state govt has earmarked an amount of Rs 4 crore for women entrepreneurs to provide loans up to Rs 15 lakh at an interest rate of 4%, he added. “Also, 50% of the total budget allocated for the RT mission is set apart for women,” he said. The mission made possible diverse experiences for travellers, such as farm tourism and food tourism and projects that link tourism with cultural and ecological conservation, which elevate rural destinations like Kanthalloor and Beypore to a global level, he added. Tourism director Sikha Surendran said that more than 20,000 people were provided training and skilling in various domains through the RT mission. The RT mission’s initiatives were inclusive of local communities and aimed at strengthening the rural economy and the social and economic empowerment of women, she added. Rupeshkumar K, CEO, Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission Society, said the mission facilitated the economic uplift of rural communities, as many villages are now part of RT destinations. As many as 33 grama panchayats that helped enhance the performance of the RT units in their region were honoured at the event. At the event, an MoU for implementing an interest subvention scheme for women in RT units was exchanged by Women Development Corporation managing director Bindu VC and Rupeshkumar. A range of traditional products and artefacts, bearing the imprint of RT units from different parts of Kerala, are exhibited at the festival, which has around 120 stalls selling products made by members and artisans of RT units.
