Kerala for All conclave: State’s political legacy will not allow curbs on people, says expert

Considering the political legacy of Kerala and its socialist fabric, limiting the number of tourists in tourist destinations, like in many overseas destinations, is a challenge, D. Dhanuraj, Founder-Chairman of Centre for Public Policy Research (CPPR), has said.

He was addressing a session on ‘ Integrated Inclusive Tourism, Economic Impact, Community Participation and Policy Synergy’ held as part of the two-day conclave on inclusive and accessible tourism here on Saturday.

“We believe in the maxim that everybody should have access to everything in the State. There should be a conflict with the very idea if restrictions were to be enforced, and the political legacy of the State will not allow this,” Mr. Dhanuraj said.

The latest social media-fuelled tourism, especially ‘Insta tourism,’ triggers mass movement of people to one place or another destination for a certain period, leaving an impact on the environment and ecology around the destinations, including waste issues. To address the issue, a coordinated effort of various departments is required, he said.

Mini Sukumar, expert member, Kerala State Planning Board, said Kerala started to experiment with restrictions in some forest trail routes, which is essential.

In the area of accessible tourism, demographic transition is presenting a challenge as well as an opportunity to Kerala with a large ageing population, and more senior citizens preferring to travel. Although the State has the potential to develop its hotels and destinations to be access-friendly for all, including for people with special needs, many of the places and hotels didn’t have minimum standard infrastructure in terms of providing accessibility to all. This should be changed, especially since the State has the advantage of local-level planning at the grassroots level, said Ms. Sukumar. A disability policy is also required to address the gaps in the sector, she added.

Vijayakumar K.C, Sports Editor, The Hindu, moderated the session.