Staff Reporter, The Hindu, KOCHI: Several activists on Saturday held a protest in front of the venue of the conference on responsible tourism organised by the Tourism Department terming it as an event supporting "irresponsible tourism". The police blocked the activists from entering Hotel Le Meridien, the venue of the programme. Later, they held a convention attended by members of various social and environmental groups in the State.

The Hindu Kerala- Kochi

Protest at tourism meet venue

Staff Reporter

KOCHI: Several activists on Saturday held a protest in front of the venue of the conference on responsible tourism organised by the Tourism Department terming it as an event supporting ’irresponsible tourism.’

The police blocked the activists from entering Hotel Le Meridien, the venue of the programme. Later, they held a convention attended by members of various social and environmental groups in the State.

Inaugurating the convention, K.P. Radhakrishna Menon, former Ombudsman for Local Bodies, said he was against tourism projects that cater to the interests of a very few people. He said tourism was needed to promote the culture of the nation. But it should not be done by causing harm to the common man, he said.

Speakers at the convention said the latest initiative of Kerala Tourism was not participatory, as it denied an opportunity for local communities to express their views.

The present discussions were not addressing the concerns of affected population which needed urgent and immediate actions to stop the damages of tourism caused to them, they said. They said the government had made some initial efforts to address some of the ill affects of tourism in the State. The demolitions of a lot of illegally built hotels and resorts in Munnar were a step in this direction. However, this issue was not on the agenda of the conference, and the demolition drive was shelved despite the fact that there were still illegal constructions not only in Munnar but also in many other parts of the State, they said.

URL: http://www.hindu.com/2008/03/23/stories/2008032358580300.htm