India: Protests against Tourism Policy

In the South Indian state of Kerala, civil society groups and movements protested against the “Second International Conference on Responsible Tourism in Destinations” which was held by Kerala Tourism and the “International Centre for Responsible Tourism, India“ in Kochi, Kerala, in March 2008. At a parallel convention and protest march, activists expressed their strong dissent against irresponsible tourism practices in Kerala, reports Sumesh Mangalassery (Kabani – the other direction). They also disagreed with the effort to portray the state as a responsible tourism destination and the elitist nature of the conference which excluded many important stakeholders, such as local communities affected by tourism. In order to continue to examine the “rhetoric of responsible tourism”, civil society groups in Kerala set up the website www.keralatourismwatch.org.