Experiential ‘STREET’ tourism to be launched in Kerala

• Kerala Tourism will begin the 'STREET' project in chosen areas in seven districts, which will allow tourists to experience the range of attractions in these localities, in a pioneering move to take tourism deep into the state's interiors and rural hinterland.
• STREET is an acronym for Sustainable, Tangible, Responsible, Experiential, Ethnic, Tourism Hubs.

Aim

• ""Its goal is to showcase our state's different character to visitors”.
• “It will promote organic, mutually beneficial links between the state's tourist growth and people's everyday lives.""

Selected Districts for 1st phase

• The streets will be in tune with the peculiarities of each of these locations and would focus on experiential tourism.
• Kozhikode
• Palakkad,
• Kannur,
• Kottayam,
• Kasaragod,
• Idukki
• Wayanad.

Themes under the Initiative

• Green Street,
• Cultural Street,
• Village life experience Street,
• Experiential tourism Street,
• Agri-tourism Street,
• Water Street
• Art Street

Implementation

• The STREET project would be implemented in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) mode and would have local bodies and residents of these locations as stakeholders.
• Joint venture projects with local bodies have also been envisaged. In every chosen location at least three such streets would come up.
• The project, conceived by the Responsible Tourism Mission, is inspired by the 'Tourism for Inclusive Growth' slogan of The United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO).
• The project offers a huge potential for growth in the tourism sector and would usher in significant changes.
• The STREET project would have a time-frame of four years for implementation. Around 1,000 local units connected to the sector would also be set up as part of the project.
• Separate projects under the scheme for enterprises by women and other marginalized communities and in sectors like agri-tourism have also been envisaged.

Significance

• The initiative serves as a model for decentralised tourist development, with the goal of bringing lesser-known rural locations into the mainstream and creating more jobs.
• The new product line would provide the state with greater opportunities for growth. It would also aid the development of basic infrastructure in rural areas.
• The idea would assist the state's tourist sector become more democratic and provide visitors with fresh experiences.

Types of tourist centers envisaged under the STREET

• The locations that have so far not found a place in the tourism map and are unknown but hold the potential to be developed.
• The locations are close to international tourism centres and have the potential to provide new experiences to tourists and increase their length of stay.
• The locations where tourism activities take place and can be developed in future as major destinations.