Kerala’s sustainable and inclusive tourism project STREEThas received the global award at the World Travel Mart (WTM) London in recognition of thewater conservation initiatives successfully carried out as part of the community-orienteddestination development plans.
STREET– which stands for Sustainable, Tangible, Responsible, Experiential, Ethnic Tourism– is a participatory tourism development approach evolved on the basis of UNWTO’s motto‘Tourism for Inclusive Growth’. The project is being implemented as part of the globallyacclaimed Responsible Tourism initiative of the Kerala Tourism Department.
The state bagged the award for the commendable work it carried out for ‘Conserving Waterand Improving Water Security and Supply for Neighbours.’
“It is indeed a proud moment for Kerala Tourism and its Responsible Tourism initiative asthe STREET project has been honoured with the global award at WTM London. The award isfor the water conservation initiative taken up under the STREET project, which is a first ofits kind initiative in the world. This award comes as an inspiration for Kerala Tourism tomove forward with more new initiatives. My congratulations to the state’s RT Mission andits co-ordinator Rupeshkumar for getting this international honour”, said Tourism MinisterShri PA Mohamad Riyas, who is leading the Kerala delegation to WTM London.
“This award is a categoric recognition of Kerala’s fast and concerted efforts post-Covid forinclusive development of tourism destinations. This award encourages us to take forwardKerala Tourism’s RT initiatives with more conviction and resolve. The Kerala Governmentwill continue its focus on ensuring that local communities actively participate in tourismactivities across the whole of Kerala, thereby ensuring more economic benefits to thecommunity”, he added This project is especially important for a place like Kerala whose core strength is naturalassets. Through STREET, the state aims at conserving these invaluable assets side by side thetourism development, Shri Riyas further added.
The project focuses on theme-based street development approach at tourism destinations toreduce over concentration of activities at core centres, to widen the area of interest forvisitors and maximise the local community benefit.
‘Water Street’ is one major stream of the STREET Project, successfully implemented atMaravanthuruthu Panchayat in Kottayam District near the world-renowned RT destinationKumarakom.
As part of developing Water Streets at Maravanthuruthu, 18 canals, three rivers and abackwater stretch flowing through the area have been cleaned and deepened as thecombined effort of local community, RT Mission units and the local Panchayat. The banks of the canals were protected with coir rapping and cultivation of flower, herbaland vegetable plants. Once the free flow of clean water was ensured, water related tourismactivities like Kayaking, rowing country boats, shikkara trips were taken up and marketingof local products and live fishing activities were organised.
Launched to promote experiential tourism, such activities are taken up by the localcommunity with a local monitoring mechanism. The initiative created an awareness that it iscrucial to avoid pollution of water bodies. These activities have led to development of the sub-category called Water STREET and itproved that Tourism can protect water bodies with strong involvement of the community. It
proved that if the local community finds a livelihood in the water body its members will getactively involved in conservation activities.
A positive environmental impact has been created through these activities in the projectarea and helped control the water-logging and flooding during the rainy season. ThroughWATER STREET Kerala’s Responsible Tourism Mission has shown the world that tourismcan become a tool for water conservation if connected with local economic development.
