Naduthuruthi, a small island with a population of 300, near Thalakkulathur in Kozhikode, could be the first case in which a village as a whole becomes a unit of the Responsible Tourism Mission. All 137 houses on this island, located in the Akalapuzha river, will be part of the initiative, either by receiving tourists as guests or by giving them a taste of their livelihood activities.
Naduthuruthi was the third village in Kozhikode to be deemed as a package by Responsible Tourism, said the Mission’s district coordinator Sreekala Lakshmi O.P.
The Responsible Tourism Mission is trying to rope in common people in an effort to make tourism more sustainable.
“Anything related to tradition is fodder for tourism. If you can entertain a few tourists with your knowledge of anything traditional, you can easily be a unit of Responsible Tourism Mission,” said Ms. Lakshmi.
“If you can wear the traditional veshti-mundu , help another wear it and also explain its making; if you have some touch-me-not or red hyacinths or kanikkonna at home or even the traditional grinding stone, you can attract tourists,” she added. There are more than 3,000 responsible tourism units in Kozhikode district and over 11,000 in the State.
The Mission had recently conducted a workshop for local stakeholders (registered units) including craftsmen, kalaris , cultural groups and farmers who can entertain tourists in their workshops or farms.
In Kozhikode district, these include even singers who can give a neat rendition of the vadakkan pattu and farmers who can supply around 500 leaves of plantain upon order. A database of such units have been made to be used to develop packages.
“If we have one or more units in nearby areas, they will be included in one package that would provide tourists some village life experience. This would in turn benefit the units with an additional income,” Ms. Lakshmi said. There are two such packages already in place in Kozhikode — at Olavanna and Kadalundi.
The Mission has advised homestay owners to identify traditional units that may interest tourists so that they could be included in the packages. The Mission has also come up with an online portal showcasing the products of the stakeholders free of cost.
