The Ernakulam District Tourism Promotion Council (DTPC) will shortly launch an initiative to collate data on skilled artisans, dancers and other artistes and make it available online, furthering the cause of experiential tourism.
It will enable tourists, academics, and organisers of events to contact them directly without the involvement of intermediaries. It is being done as part of Kerala Tourism’s responsible tourism initiative to promote experiential tourism, a global trend wherein tourists experience a locale by directly connecting with its history, people, and culture.
The online directory will have details such as the artiste’s name, contact details, biodata and details of stage performances.
A fool-proof method would be adopted to verify the skill and antecedents of artistes, said DTPC Secretary S. Vijayakumar.
The initiative will help revive old and dying art forms and dances, while also helping artistes earn a reasonable income. The opening of newer convention centres and luxury hotels has given a boost to Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) tourism. Staging of traditional art forms at such gatherings will showcase Kerala’s heritage to a global audience.
Artisan villages
Experiential tourism can go a step ahead if visitors to Kerala visit the artistes or artisan villages, interact with people, get to know their lifestyle and details such as how costumes are readied and intricate make-up is applied. They can even do ‘voluntourism’ or volunteer tourism by staying in such places.
The initiative’s software components are ready and will be launched by June-end. Videos of stage performances too would be posted online, said Kerala’s Responsible Tourism Mission coordinator K. Roopesh Kumar.
“The development comes even as work is on to release a human resources directory of people engaged in different works such as plumbing, electrical, masonry, etc. Yet another responsible tourism initiative is to enable people to purchase ethnic/traditional produce online,” he said.
Kudumbasree tie-up
Taking a cue from the Railways, the DTPC has also decided to entrust Kudumbasree volunteers with tasks such as cleaning and operating pay-and-park lots in tourist centres and beaches. “Members of the women self-help group (SHG) will manage food kiosks and also be in charge of renting out swimming aids, beach umbrella, benches, etc. They will thus be a stakeholder in managing the locales and ensuring cleanliness, further boosting their self esteem,” said Mr. Vijayakumar.
The volunteers will also help implement the green protocol. A uniform dress code has been planned for them. All this will inculcate in the local population a feeling of collective ownership of each destination, which is in sync with the responsible tourism policy.
