Kerala Launches Inclusive Tourism Policy to Empower Women

Tourism Minister PA Mohamed Riyas has announced that the Kerala government will proceed with its action plan to support newcomers, particularly women, in the tourism sector. This aligns with the vision of promoting inclusive and sustainable tourism development across the state.

The Minister made these remarks during the inaugural address at a state-level consultation workshop aimed at developing a Gender-Inclusive and Women-Friendly Tourism Policy, as part of the wider women-friendly tourism initiative. The workshop was organised by the Department of Tourism in partnership with Kerala Responsible Tourism (RT) Mission Society and UN Women India.

Since its inception in 2022, the project’s two main aims have been to establish women-friendly tourism centres and to create a network of women-owned enterprises within the tourism sector, the Minister explained.

“It is vital to extent support to the new comers to the tourism sector, especially women, to ensure that they flourish in the completive ecosystem,” Riyas said.

He stated, “Initially, around 17,631 women had joined the project with diverse enterprises and services. These included exclusive women tour units, homestays, souvenir units and services like community tour leaders and tour operators. After imparting training to them, tourism activities are being conducted in a coordinated manner."

The government has also allocated funds to support women entrepreneurs through the RT subsidy scheme, Minister Riyas further noted.

He highlighted that Kerala’s women-inclusive tourism project has received commendation from UN Women India, which has also extended technical support in areas such as destination safety, gender audits, and training programmes.

Riyas mentioned that Kerala was the first Indian state to conduct a gender audit in the tourism sector. Six centres have already been audited, with another 14 centres scheduled for assessment in the current financial year. Additionally, safety audits have been completed at 68 tourism sites, with measures underway to implement women-friendly initiatives across these locations.

Post-Covid-19, Kerala has seen a record surge in domestic visitors, surpassing other states and outpacing the national average in foreign tourist arrivals, emphasising the positive impact of women-friendly efforts on the sector.

In her opening remarks, Kerala Tourism Director Sikha Surendran described the women-friendly initiative as a global model worth emulating. “Apart from firming up Kerala’s position on global tourism map as an all-season experiential destination, our RT initiative has brought significant benefit to the local communities, especially women as its major stakeholders,” she noted. 

S K Sajeesh, Chairman of Kerala Tourism Infrastructure Ltd (KTIL), presided over the event, which was followed by a panel discussion. In her keynote address, Kanta Singh, Country Representative of UN Women India, expressed pride in Kerala’s leadership and its partnership with the government to advance women's participation in tourism.

K Rupeshkumar, CEO of Kerala RT Mission Society, outlined the framework for the forthcoming Gender Responsive Tourism Policy, which will set guidelines for implementing, monitoring, and evaluating gender-inclusive practices. 

“The major objectives of the policy include fostering women’s participation in tourism industry, ensuring safety and security and women’s empowerment,” he said.

It will also address workplace practices, create safe working environments, and develop inclusive, accessible infrastructure and services at tourism destinations, Rupeshkumar added. An action plan detailing the implementation of each policy component will be developed to support the framework.

The policy will involve stakeholders such as tourism entrepreneurs, tour operators, hotels, local communities, and tourists from diverse backgrounds, especially women.

Mini Sukumar, Member of the Kerala State Planning Board and Governing Body Member of The Gender Park, remarked that a significant positive transformation has taken place in the sector since the women-friendly initiative was launched. Speakers, including S Swaminathan, Secretary of Kerala Travel Mart Society, and Jose Dominic, founder of CGH Earth, also shared insights.

The workshop concluded with a panel discussion on strategies to integrate gender equity into tourism policy and practice throughout Kerala.