To
The Finalists' Selection Committee
Tourism for Tomorrow Awards 2006
World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC), London

Dear Sirs,
We express our serious concern regarding the WTTC destination award Kerala tourism has applied for. We understand that the Tourism Department has painted a one-sided and biased picture of Kerala tourism. If you look deeper than just at the tip of the iceberg, you will find that at this stage, Kerala tourism is not at all a role model of sustainability by any international standards. Rather, the lack of sustainability in Kerala tourism raises several questions that will need to be addressed before Kerala, as a destination can be eligible for such an award. We therefore urge you to abandon your decision to consider Kerala tourism for the best destination award.

The current malpractices, lack of transparency and non-participatory tourism projects based on ill-conceived policies in Kerala are causing tremendous damages to the vulnerable and marginalised communities and fragile environment in Kerala. Evils of tourism such as the commercial sexual exploitation of children are rampant in the state.

The recently introduced tourism legislations are undermining the legitimate powers of local democratic institutions, thus negating people’s participation in tourism. The Kerala Local Authorities Entertainment (Amendment) Bill 2004 has weakened Panchayats, depriving them of several crores of rupees income due to them, which could be used for local development. The Kerala Tourism (Conservation & Preservation of Areas) Act 2005 effectively strips Panchayats of their powers by constituting a committee dominated by bureaucrats, and by stating that no development activity may be carried out in so-called “special tourism zones” except by permission of the committee.

We would like to remind you that according to your own criteria, a destination that wins the award “will be able to demonstrate maximum positive benefits and minimum negative impacts, as well as the adoption of planning and policies that promote sustainability”. Kerala tourism, however, has a strong record of proving that planning, policies and regulations to date have not effectively addressed major problems caused by tourism. These include the unsustainable extraction of ground water in tourism spots such as Kovalam, which is causing a serious lack of drinking water for local communities. Problems also include the pollution of the backwaters by the tourism industry, especially the increasing number of houseboats. The Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) violations by hotels and resorts are a serious concern in the state, and so is the uncontrolled tourism development in Kovalam and Kumarakom, which has lead to many environmental and social problems. Prostitution including the commercial sexual exploitation of children in Kovalam and Varkala is rampant. Sustainable waste management systems are completely lacking in the state.

It has been clearly demonstrated that the claim that “tourism is a vehicle for developing the environment” in the state is highly questionable at best and unfounded at worst. So is Kerala’s unsubstantiated claim about “success in maintaining a policy of sustainable management incorporating social, cultural, environmental and economic aspects as well as multi-stakeholder engagement” – a key criterion for any WTTC destination award.

The mere adoption of planning and policies that may or may not at some point in the more or less distant future promote sustainability is not sufficient for giving’ Tourism for Tomorrow Award’ to Kerala as a destination. We urge you to meet a broader range of civil society representatives to understand the true nature of tourism development in the state. Any decision taken without listening and responding to the voices of voluntary organizations in Kerala will tantamount to neglect of the acceptable international practices of screening processes for such widely respected awards.

Expecting you to look into the matter,

Yours faithfully,

Signatories

Altermedia, Thrissur, Kerala

Creative Super Market, Thrissur, Kerala

GAIA (Global Alternate information Applications), Thrissur, Kerala

KABANI - the other direction,

Kerala Kerala Human Rights Forum, M.G University, Kottayam,

Kerala Kerala Indepentent Fishworkers Federation (KSMTF), Trivandrum, Kerala Keraleeyam Thrissur,

Kerala Nattarivu Padanakendram, Thrissur, Kerala

OpenSpace, Bangalore

P.G. Center Thrissur, Kerala

Peoples Voice Bangalore, Bangalore

Root Thrissur, Kerala

Visual Search, Bangalore

The Quest-Features and footages, Eranakulam, Kerala

Prakruthi Samrakshana Samithi, Wayanad, Kerala

Ajayan V.B.,

Root- the dalit center, Kerala

Ajayan R., Trivandrum, Kerala

Anil, Altermedia, Kerala

Anita, Peoples Voice, Bangalore

Anivar Aravind, GAIA, Kerala

Benny Kuruvilla, Focus on the Global South, Mumbai

Bijesh V.S,

Shilpa, Wayanad, Kerala

Biju, Altermedia, Kerala

Brahmaputhran, Palakkad,

Kerala C.K.Viswanath, Kannoor, Kerala

C.R. Neelakandan Namboothiri, Eranakulam, Kerala

Edwin, OpenSpace, Bangalore

Favour Francis, Creative Supermarket, Kerala

Harikrishnan, Trivandrum, Kerala

Hemlin Swaran Rag, Pondicherry University

Jagajeevan.J, KSSP, Kerala

Jibu Thomas GAIA, Kerala

John Mathias, The Neutral Zone Teen Center, USA

K.P Sasi, Visual Search, Bangalore

Karen Coelho, Independent Researcher, Chennai

Lal Mohan P., Kozhikode, Kerala

M. Gangadaran Master, Wayanad, Kerala

M.U.Praveen, Kozhikode, Kerala

Nina Rao, New Delhi

Nityanand Jayaraman, Corporate Accountability Desk, Chennai

Paul Gonsalves, Kolkata

Prabhath Joseph, Valiyavila Family Estate, Kollam, Kerala

Renjith Kumar K.G, GAIA, Kerala

Sandhya P.C GAIA, Kerala

Saroop Roy, Equations, Kerala office

Savad Rahman, Madhyamam Daily

Simon Joseph M., Lecturer, Mar Gregorios College,Chennai

Sjith Edwin, Trivandrum, Kerala

Suchitra M., Eranakulam, Kerala

Sujesh M., Wayanad, Kerala

Sunil.V.V, Kozhikode, Kerala

T.T. Sreekumar, Asst. Professor, National University, Singapore

Usha S., Trivandrum, Kerala

Dr. P. Krishna Moorthy, Chennai

V. Vijayan, Wayanad, Kerala