THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Rupeshkumar K, CEO of the Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission Society, has won the prestigious 'Pioneering Contribution to Responsible Tourism' award instituted by the International Centre for Responsible Tourism (ICRT Global), in recognition of his contributions to advancing responsible tourism practices.
The award recognises his efforts in implementing the responsible tourism model in Kerala through local community participation, sustainable development and environmental conservation. The award was presented at a ceremony in London and Rupesh Kumar received the award virtually.
He had earlier won the World Travel Market (WTM) London's Outstanding Achievement Award, an honour conferred on only five people worldwide.
He was also selected as Condé Nast Traveller's Sustainable Tourism Champion and received Outlook Responsible Tourism's Indian Responsible Tourism Leader Award.
An author of several books and articles on responsible tourism, Rupeshkumar has also played a role in promoting the concept across various Indian states and Asian countries.
He currently serves as the Nodal Officer for Sustainable Tourism and Rural Tourism and has been a speaker at several national and international forums.