Chamba’s sustainable tourism model garners accolades from Kerala society

The CEO of Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission (KRTM) Society, Rupesh Kumar, has lauded the efforts being made to promote responsible and sustainable tourism in Chamba.

Kumar, who is currently in Chamba to attend the Responsible Tourism and Living Heritage Meet being organised by district administration and NotonMap as part of the ‘Chalo Chamba’ campaign, presented Kerala’s Responsible Tourism model, emphasising how it significantly contributes to the economy and livelihood generation.

Appreciated the work being carried out in Chamba, particularly in villages such as Mystic village without any external support, Kumar expressed his satisfaction over the ongoing grassroots efforts and said these villages had the potential to become model destinations for domestic and international tourists in the future.

He said the Kerala Responsible Tourism Mission was ready to provide all possible support to strengthen the initiative. He also announced that women groups associated with responsible tourism in Kerala would visit Chamba to share their experiences and culture. Similarly, locals from Chamba will also have the opportunity to visit Kerala for knowledge exchange.

Sharing his personal journey, Kumar recalled how he had proposed the idea of responsible tourism in his village nearly 20 years ago, when many dismissed it as unrealistic. However, women from his village joined him, and together they began by selling locally grown vegetables and produce to hotels and resorts. The income generated from these efforts laid the foundation for a thriving responsible tourism movement, despite several challenges along the way.

He emphasised that strong resolve could overcome any hurdle, and today, the movement had created new sources of income, contributing to economic resilience in rural areas. Rupesh Kumar termed the Chamba model of responsible and sustainable tourism as “exemplary” and praised the district’s commitment to heritage and community-driven tourism.

He also spoke highly of Chamba’s traditional cuisine, describing it as both delicious and nutritious. He was equally impressed by the warm hospitality and friendly nature of the locals.