Green Carpet fillip for Kerala tourism sector

KOCHI: The Green Carpet project, jointly initiated by the State Tourism Department and District Tourism Promotion Councils, has given a fillip to the tourism industry. The project aimed at decentralizing co-ordination and management of 84 destinations in the state, has given a new dimension to maintaining tourism destinations with the active involvement of all stakeholders concerned. According to industry sources, the project will be a game changer if implemented successfully.

“The project which aims at sprucing up popular tourist destinations in the state is also focusing on sustainability of cleanliness and other basic facilities. The programme is based on the principle of responsible tourism with the active involvement of local community and other stakeholders,” said Saroop Roy, state project coordinator, Better Together, Kerala’s Responsible Tourism Initiative at the Kerala Institute of Tourism and Travel Studies.

A destination-level task force has been constituted in all the districts which is responsible for addressing ground-level concerns including waste management, infrastructure and safety and sustainability. The task force includes members of local bodies, Kudumbasree Mission, NGOs and government departments. In Ernakulam district, 10 tourist spots have been selected for the project.

“Programmes planned under the Green Carpet project will be implemented before October 31. The objective is to ensure all basic facilities such as clean toilets, roads and waste management for tourists by November 1 when the tourism season officially starts. The task force will continue to function to ensure sustainability of the programme,” said C.K Prakash, additional district magistrate, Ernakulam, who is in the charge DTPC secretary.