Munnar to be a global Responsible Tourism destination by December

Munnar will soon get the global Responsible Tourism (RT) destination tag.

The State will make the declaration by December 2025 as part of an attempt to rebrand the hill station as a ‘Responsible and Resilient Tourism Destination.’ Prior to the declaration, the State government, under the banner of the Responsible Tourism Mission, will undertake a slew of sustainable tourism practices at the destination, including making it women-friendly.

The State government sanctioned ₹50 lakh to undertake various branding programmes ahead of the declaration.

Enhancing popularity

The responsible tourism destination tag is expected to enhance its popularity on global tourism platforms, attracting more tourists to the State.

It is also imperative to develop Munnar as a ‘net-zero tourist destination’ by protecting the delicate ecosystem around the hill station while undertaking responsible and sustainable tourism initiatives, according to a government order.

Munnar is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Kerala with around 12 lakh tourists (based on hotel occupancy) visiting it annually. Considering the number of travellers visiting and returning the same day, the actual number of tourists visiting the destination would be three to four times higher. “As part of rebranding the destination, the primary focus will be on ensuring gender equality and promoting it as a safe destination for women, both as hosts and guests, along with building sustainable and gender-inclusive tourism models,” said a senior Tourism department officer.

Plastic-free

The authorities have already started working on the project, formulating village life experience packages for guests and imparting training to various stakeholders in the sector, including local tourist guides, community tour leaders, and auto-taxi drivers. The RT classification for hotels and resorts, efforts to make the destination plastic-free before December, putting up signage and boards, video documentation and so on are some of the standards set by the authorities.

Recently, the State had conducted a three-day Global Women Conference on Gender Inclusive and Responsible Tourism in Munnar. All these efforts are part of the attempt to declare it as a global RT destination.