Responsible Tourism stall a hit at Kerala Travel Mart

KOCHI: A water-filled rectangular trench giving a hands-on feel of a canal with a floating bamboo rat (changadam) welcomes visitors at the ongoing Kerala Travel Mart (KTM), highlighting the spirit of the state’s famed Responsible Tourism (RT) that emphasises on ecological conservation and community development.

Adjacent to this installation at the entry are two sights bearing the signature of Malabar, highlighting government’s fresh initiatives to promote tourism in north Kerala - a specimen of upstate Kasaragod’s suranga irrigation tunnel and mock fights by exponents of ancient Kalaripayatu martial art.

These, and more, spectacles instantly draw people’s atention to the RT Stall at KTM-2022, conveying that RT is a critical component in sustainable and inclusive tourism development.

With its clean-blue water, the 12x7 feet ‘channel’ at the centre of the pavilion recaptures a common sight in the rural landscape of God’s Own Country. Though the bamboo rat gives a toy-like appeal at a glance, one can board it and glide across to the other side of the bank at the sprawling Sagara and Samudrika convention centres on Willingdon Island, the venue of the event.

“This is great fun,” said A.U. Faizal Khan, a Delhiite Malayali atending the May 5-8 KTM that has delegates from 69 countries, besides buyers from 25 states within the country. “It reminds me of my native place in lower Kutanad,” he said.

Organised by KTM Society, the mart was inaugurated on Thursday by Kerala Governor Arif Mohammad Khan