THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala is set to introduce life experience trails, a new experiential tourism product that aims to move beyond conventional sightseeing by offering visitors immersive experiences rooted in villages, traditional livelihoods, culture and biodiversity.
Envisaged as a new tourism experience, the trails will enable travellers to experience the state through its people and traditions rather than tourist landmarks. These will weave together rural life, local cuisine, farming practices, traditional occupations, handicrafts, living heritage and biodiversity, while encouraging meaningful interaction between visitors and local communities.
The tourism department has granted administrative sanction for the initiative as part of the Community Tourism Hubs of Kerala project to be implemented through the Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission Society. The department has sanctioned Rs 1.9 crore for the project, of which Rs 75.66 lakh has been earmarked exclusively for developing the life experience trails.
To begin with, the Responsible Tourism (RT) Mission is planning to develop around seven new destinations, with surveys currently underway to identify suitable locations. Tourism secretary K Biju told TNIE that the project will be rolled out within 100 days. He said that the destinations would be finalised only after field assessment is completed.
“The mission already operates cultural and nature trails and various tourism packages. The new initiative enhances those experiences by bringing together multiple activities into a comprehensive experiential package,” Biju said. He said that the new trails would enable tourists to experience a destination in its entirety.
“If it is a cultural destination, visitors will be able to experience different aspects of that area’s culture. Similarly, in a nature trail, tourists will get to experience various elements related to the destination. The idea is to offer a complete experiential package,” he said.
The initiative aims to strengthen community-based tourism by generating employment and improving incomes in rural areas. It also seeks to empower women and youth through tourism enterprises and establish community-led governance systems for managing tourism destinations.
“The life experience trails will form part of a broader network of community tourism hubs, integrating RT villages and streets, rural life experience tourism, living heritage conservation and biodiversity conservation into a single sustainable tourism model. These hubs are expected to serve as gateways for visitors to explore authentic local experiences curated and managed by local communities,” an official said.
Local flavour
RT Mission is planning to develop around seven new destinations. Initiative aims to strengthen community-based tourism
Visitors can explore authentic local experiences curated and managed by local communities
The project has also allocated Rs 40 lakh for community tourism enterprise development