Madhya Pradesh signed a memorandum of understanding with Kerala for replicating the latter’s pioneering Responsible Tourism (RT) initiative.
The States signed a joint declaration under which Kerala will extend a series of services under a 16-point programme. The MoU was exchanged by Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran and his Madhya Pradesh counterpart Usha Thakur.
Mr. Surendran said RT was the “only tool for sustainable development of tourism” as it created better places for people to live in and visit. The Minister said the pact with Madhya Pradesh was “another milestone” for Kerala Tourism and its RT Mission.
Ms Thakur said with the help of RT Mission of Kerala, the rustic beauty, life and heritage of Madhya Pradesh could be highlighted on the world tourism map.
“There are several tribes such as Bhil, Sahariya and Gond living in our State, and we want to showcase their traditional value, attire and food habits to the entire country and outside world with Kerala’s assistance. The soul of India lies in the villages and we want to show it to the world with your cooperation,” she added.
Next week, a 13-member team from Bhopal, led by Ms Thakur, will tour different parts of Kerala to gather first-hand knowledge about RT in the State.
