THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Catching up with the global trend, women-friendly tourism is gaining momentum in Kerala with government initiatives turning the entire state into a safe, clean and comfortable destination for women to travel solo or in groups, said Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas.
Flagging off an all-woman destination promotion campaign organised by Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission (KRTM) Society from the city, Riyas said that Kerala has set another successful model by promoting women-friendly tourism in partnership with UN Women.
“It has become a global trend for women to travel on their own or with friends, colleagues or family members, especially after the Covid pandemic. When hosts are also women, they feel more comfortable. This model also opens plenty of economic opportunities for women,” said Riyas.
Noting that the members of the destination promotion campaign are students, the minister emphasised that it is significant that youngsters become promoters of Kerala tourism by joining the campus tourism clubs. Tourism director Shikha Surendran and KRTM Society CEO K Rupesh Kumar were present on the occasion.
The group that set off from Park View complex, that houses the directorate, were selected for the campaign based on their expertise in promoting tourism on social media handles. They will tour through panoramic places like Amboori and Vellarada in the district to pass on the message of women-friendly tourism and encourage women to be stakeholders in this fast emerging model.
The Women-Friendly Tourism initiative was launched in October 2022 by the KRTM.