College students will be given more role in the upkeep and management of tourist destinations across the State.
Along with tapping the potential of unexplored destinations across the State, the Tourism department has decided to reactivate tourism clubs in colleges with the aim of making them a part of the tourism industry. Though a similar project was launched earlier, the clubs were not active in recent times.
A ministerial-level meeting between the Tourism and Higher Education departments will be held soon to draw up an action plan for the reactivation of the tourism clubs. The Kerala Tourism Development Corporation (KTDC) will be the nodal agency.
V. Vigneshwari, managing director, KTDC, said the project envisaged creating tourism awareness among the students along with equipping them for the upkeep and maintenance of the tourist assets.
The students and staff coordinator of these clubs would be given training, if needed. These tourism clubs would also be entrusted with tourism promotion activities at the destination level. They could also submit destination management projects and it would be funded by the department, if found feasible, said Ms. Vigneshwari.
The students part of the movement would spread the message of responsible tourism and would be an ethical tourist in the future, the officials hoped.
Certificates
The students will be issued certificates. In the first phase, tourism clubs would be formed in arts and science colleges.
The Responsible Tourism Mission under the Tourism department has also a similar project to form tourism clubs in schools and at village levels to mould youngsters into responsible tourists. The department has already announced a destination challenge with the objective of developing at least one tourist destination in a local body in the State.
From June 8
The State-level project which aims at developing 100 unexplored destinations into tourist spots in association with the Local Self-Government department will be launched on June 8. The State government has sanctioned ₹100-crore for the Tourism department to develop these destinations. The students would also have a major role in developing these destinations, said the officials.
