THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: All this while, though there were four Responsible Tourism destinations, RT Classification existed only in Kumarakom. Now, Kerala Tourism is planning to extend the Classification system not just to the other three destinations but to tourism-related properties across the state. “An all-inclusive RT drive,” is how a top Tourism official termed the move. The RT Classification was launched in Kumarakom way back in February 2011, and became operational by the end of May 2013.
The classification is for tourist accommodation providers such as hotels, resorts, heritage homes, ayurveda resorts, serviced villas, houseboats and homestays. Hotels and resorts in Kumarakom were declared RT-complaint on June 27, 2013, at the inauguration of the International Conference on Responsible Tourism. “We will first extend the classification to other RT destinations like Kovalam, Thekkady, Wayanad, Kumbalangi and others, assess the response, and then take it across the state” a top Tourism Department official said.
Once the classification is in place, 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 power tariff concessions. “Henceforth, we'll be selective. A new tourism venture can claim benefits only if it conforms to the standards prescribed in the classification process,” the tourism official said. The incentives are only for five years.
The criteria for the classification are 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 1000 among four responsibility categories: sustainable management (200); socio cultural responsibility (250); economic responsibility (250); environmental responsibility (300). Properties that have scores between 750 – 1000, 600-749 and 500-599 will be classified as Platinum, Gold and Silver respectively.
