THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala will help Madhya Pradesh (MP) emulate its Responsible Tourism Mission (RTM). A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in this regard will be signed in Thiruvananthapuram on January 13, said an official release.
A thirteen-member delegation, led by Tourism and Culture Minister of MP Usha Thakur, will reach the state on Tuesday for a seven-day tour of responsible tourist destinations.
Later a team of RTM officers from the state will visit MP. Madhya Pradesh Tourism Board director Manoj Kumar Singh and RTM Kerala coordinator K Roopesh Kumar are the nodal officers of the tie-up.
Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran said he was glad to see other states emulating the Kerala model, which ensures participation of the local populace in development activities. “Some other states too have evinced interest. Along with the development of the state’s tourism sector, Kerala will take its social development model in tourism to other states,” he added.
Tourism Secretary Rani George said there were 1.09 lakh beneficiaries of RTM in 20,000 units across the state. The total income earned by the local population was Rs 38 crore. Tourism director P Balakiran said the expansion of RTM throws up a big opportunity for the state. “The mission can even provide professional consultancy services to other states,” he said.