RT mission launches new initiatives to boost women-friendly tourism in Kerala
Women-only tours are gaining in popularity, while women-friendly tourism initiatives are being spearheaded by Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission Society (KRTMS). A pic of a tour group from Kerala in a locale outside the State, and also of a sole woman traveller.
| Photo Credit: Special arrangement
Thirty-eight-year-old travel enthusiast Indu Krishna from Eramaloor, on the Alappuzha-Ernakulam border, ventured into Kerala’s tourism sector in 2015 with a Facebook group named ‘Escape Now’, during a time when there still was a taboo associated with women travelling alone.
Not anymore, as more women are now traveling solo or in groups to offbeat and unexplored destinations both within and outside the country, thanks to the changes in the societal outlook mainly post-pandemic, said Ms. Krishna who is now a women-travel specialist having an office in Kochi. “Having travelled extensively across Kerala, I began organising tours for women to places like Goa, where they explored on scooters. This led to trips to Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Dubai, Bali, and other countries,” she added.
These trips were a form of ‘escape’ for many women who were ‘tied up’ with a host of responsibilities by their family or society. The women-friendly tourism initiatives led by the Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission Society (KRTMS) were a value-addition as government support provided more credibility to the efforts promoting inclusive, sustainable, and responsible travel, she said.
Sheer passion for mud structures prompted 46-year-old Shalini P.S., a Thiruvananthapuram native, to set up Earthen Pool Villa in Marayur. She said that all staff at the villa were women to supports the principles of women-friendly tourism. “The staff are from surrounding areas, and we prioritise sourcing items within the community, including locally-made soaps and shampoos. As experiential tourism gains popularity, women stakeholders are allowing guests to immerse themselves in the local lifestyle and environment at a minimum expense,” she added.
People like them now train tourism stakeholders and local body representatives on various aspects of women-friendly tourism. Since its formal launch in 2022 under the RT Mission, many women entrepreneurs in the State have joined the tourism sector, offering services in travel, food, accommodation, and community tours. Besides, the Kerala Tourism, KRTMS, and the UN Women are developing an app to advance the project to the next level.
An award-winning wildlife photographer, Ms. Shalini assists women entrepreneurs with destination studies and provides guidance on ensuring the safety of guests, particularly women. A core group has been established under the RT Mission to train women in storytelling, vlog-making, marketing, and leading community tours. She said that the upcoming app would be a valuable tool for promoting women-run tourism ventures, offering both increased visibility and enhanced security.
“Under the women-friendly tourism project, the RT Mission aims to advance women empowerment and exclusively host women tourists,” said K. Rupesh Kumar, Chief Executive Officer of KRTMS. A safety audit had already been conducted at 68 tourism locales in as part of the initiative, he added.
“The goal is to establish a presence in over 150 panchayats and provide employment to 30,000 women in the State. Last year, the project hosted 14,800 women tourists primarily at village-tourism destinations, and a gender audit is currently under way in various locales,” he said. A total of 28 women-led tour companies had been registered under the project, he added.
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