The classification and certification of hotels and restaurants in the State under the aegis of the Responsible Tourism (RT) Mission, launched on Tuesday, is a first-of-its-kind initiative under a government agency. The classification is mainly based on the compliance of the hospitality industry to the policies of the RT Mission, which is rooted in sustainability.
“We take into consideration their sustainability and environment friendliness besides socio-cultural involvement through a set of questions. Factors such as usage of plastics, local employment, sourcing raw materials locally, assisting local artists and artisans, transgenders and differently abled, practising gender equality, environment audit, and water conservation come into question,” said State RT Mission Coordinator K. Roopesh Kumar.
The properties are rated out of 1,000 points and are classified based on it. Those that earn up to 300 points are classified as RT Silver, those up to 500 points as RT Gold, and those above 500 as RT Diamond. Besides, RT Green classification is given to those properties that earn more than 80% points in the environment category.
“This is quite different from the conventional classification in which the size of rooms and additional infrastructure at the properties are taken into consideration. We try to point out that mere showcasing was not enough,” said Mr. Kumar.
The registration is done online and a classification society conducts physical inspections before certifying the properties. The certification has three-year validity, but the society can review and cancel the certification if the hotels failed to comply with the norms. The Mission plans to complete 300 certifications this financial year while the target for the next year is 1,000.
“Despite being ready much earlier, we could not launch the project due to the pandemic, during which the properties including hotels, resorts and homestays remained closed,” said Mr. Kumar. With the classification, tourists can get all information online, as to where they can get the best rural tourism experience, where to get traditional cuisine, and so on.
