THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In a bid to promote sustainable tourism and mitigate environmental impacts because of an overdose of tourism, the Tourism Department is gearing up to launch carrying capacity assessments at popular destinations across the state.
The move comes in the wake of the Kerala High Court’s recent mandate for a study on the carrying capacity of hill stations like Wayanad to assess their environmental impact and infrastructure.
A senior official of the tourism department told TNIE that the department is joining hands with the forest department to conduct the carrying capacity assessment studies at 15 selected hill stations across the state.
Besides this, plans are afoot to conduct a carrying capacity study in other destinations with the help of Kerala Tourism Infrastructure Ltd (KTIL) and Responsible Tourism (RT).
“Ponmudi, Munnar, Wagamon and Chembra in Wayanad are among the destinations where the study is to be conducted. The assessment is crucial for planning and other development activities. The study incorporates social, economical and environmental components.
Based on this we will have a better understanding about the requirements at the destination like open spaces, toilets and other basic amenities for the tourists,” said the official.
The department is planning awareness campaigns among the public, and tourism stakeholders. “People are resisting such moves, especially regulations. But it is crucial to conserve ecosensitive destinations. Hence, we are planning to pilot this project in selected locations. Varkala, Kovalam and Munnar are the three destinations selected for the pilot study. The study at Varkala will immediately take off. However, confidence-building among the stakeholders is crucial,” the official added.