THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The tourism department has done away with its ‘brick by brick’ expansion of Responsible Tourism (RT) in the state. Now, instead of focusing on a cluster of tourism destinations, it will declare the entire state as ‘RT-enabled'. The first step will be the launch of an RT classification process for tourist accommodation providers across the state such as hotels, resorts, heritage homes, Ayurveda resorts, serviced villas, houseboats and homestays.
To prompt new entrepreneurs and existing service providers to opt for classification, the department has decided to limit government subsidies and incentives only for those units with RT classification. Right now, such a classification exists only for hotels in Kumarakom, an RT destination. Hotels and resorts in Kumarakom were declared RT-complaint on June 27, 2013. In fact, only those investors who are RT-compliant would be welcome to the state.
The classification will also work as a 'special pass' of sorts. Capital and power subsidies would be limited to RT-compliant units. As of now, any new tourism unit was entitled to capital subsidy and electricity tariff concessions. “Henceforth, we'll be selective. A new tourism venture can claim these benefits only if it conforms to the standards prescribed in the classification process,” a top tourism official said. The incentives are only for five years.
The criteria for the classification have been developed on the basis of the Global Sustainable Tourism Criteria (GSTC). An RT classification will be considered a written assurance that a business, product, process, service, or management system conforms to a specific standard.
A marketable logo is given to those that meet or exceed the prescribed standard using various criteria and related indicators. The classification divides total points of 1,000 among four responsibility categories: sustainable management (200); socio-cultural responsibility (250); economic responsibility (250) and environmental responsibility (300). Properties that have scores between 750 – 1000, 600-749 and 500-599 will be classified as Platinum, Gold and Silver respectively.
