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Developing a Code of Conduct for Houseboats in Alleppey, Kerala, India

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Developing a Code of Conduct for Houseboats in Alleppey, Kerala, India TourismConcern campaign report Developing a Code of Conduct for houseboats in Alleppey, Kerala, India Summary Key Achievements This report documents our 2015 work A survey of nearly 1000 with partners in Alleppey to develop a households on the backwaters in Code of Conduct for Houseboats. The the Alleppey region, revealing a work follows on from previous project range of negative impacts deriving work with southern Indian coastal from houseboat tourism (2012). communities. Feedback from Tourism Concern Houseboat tourism ofers a wonderful members and other tourists way to experience the beauty of the regarding their own experiences backwaters. Although it could and of houseboat tourism in Kerala. should be a model of ethical tourism, and a valuable and sustainable source Establishing support for the initiative from UK tour operators who take guests to of local income, its current expansion the backwaters, including through AITO, ABTA and the Travel Foundation. is unregulated, causing increasingly adverse social and environmental A comprehensive consultation with those involved in houseboat tourism impacts. including: local communities; houseboat owners; houseboat owners’ associations; government departments; the Department of Tourism; In 2012 we undertook a survey of 1000 families living along the backwaters. academics; etc. Tis indicated that houseboat tourism A meeting, chaired by the Director of Tourism, of over 40 representatives of was adversely afecting their lives these stakeholders. An outline of our key findings was presented. Agreement and that the issues troubling them also threatened the environmental on the need for a Code of Conduct and for establishing a committee, with sustainability of the backwaters and of representatives of the key stakeholders, to oversee the development, adoption the houseboat industry itself. and monitoring of the Code. Prompted by these findings we Development of detailed best practice guidelines, including suggestions for have been talking with as many practical ways in which their adoption might be facilitated. stakeholders as possible in order to understand the issues better and to Setting up and meeting of the Implementation and Monitoring Committee under come up with practical suggestions the auspices of the Department of Tourism. for addressing them. This process has led us to drafting best practice Adoption of our draft Code of Conduct by the Department of Tourism. guidelines and to proposing a Agreement to develop ‘model boats’ – helping up to 50 boat owners to comply process for encouraging and monitoring compliance, both with the Code. In the process, identifying practical challenges to be met so it agreed with the Kerala Department will be easier for all boats to be operated more sustainably. of Tourism. Action for Ethical Tourism TourismConcern campaign report Background with paddy felds irrigated by the Tourism Concern had also been backwaters sufering from oil, sewage contacted by returning tourists Tourism Concern has worked with and rubbish from the houseboats. and tour operators taking guests partners in southern India since to Kerala, all concerned about 2004. Following the tsunami in Local people also told us about invasion backwaters tourism. Tey were December that year, communities of their privacy, with tourist boats reporting similar problems, who had been devastated by mooring wherever they want – ofen alongside issues to do with value for the disaster were facing a range even overlooking private houses. Tey money and health and safety. Tey of problems being wrought by described inappropriate behaviour by wanted help in identifying better run aggressive tourism development visitors, including drunkenness, noise boats. in its afermath – exploiting their and explicitly sexual behaviour. vulnerability, forcing them of Clearly not every houseboat operator The team their land and threatening their We chose to work with Sudha Soni as livelihoods. pollutes the waters, or allows the behaviour of their guests to adversely our Indian partner. Sudha had taken From 2009 to 2012 we ran a DFID- afect local people. Nonetheless, the over the role of Project Manager Empowering funded project: Empowering problem is very widespread. Increasing in India for the coastal communities for effective numbers of tourists and tour operators, Coastal Communities project tourism policy engagement, including those from the UK, have in 2011 and was very successful seeking to help some of the been wanting to know how to choose in focusing and deepening our people being afected. Our work better run boats. Tus was born the engagement with the issues. Tis was particularly efective in the idea of developing a Code of Conduct included overseeing the survey of Alleppey region of Kerala where, – both to hold houseboat owners households which precipitated the working with our local partners to account and to help identify and current project. Now running the Kabani and GSGSK, we developed a promote those who are pursuing best Environment Collaborative, based in comprehensive network for in-depth practice. Alleppey, Sudha has demonstrated engagement with grassroots level genuine concern, dedication and groups, particularly women. Legitimacy a unique ability to build trust with Tourism Concern’s policy before stakeholders, from villagers up to In 2012, we conducted a survey adopting any proposed project is to government. of nearly 1000 households asking establish whether it is appropriate questions about tourism and how it and legitimate. What are the sources Funding afected them. Amongst other things, of motivation, power and expertise Whilst our previous work in India this revealed that houseboat tourism, involved? Can we ofer expertise had been made possible by funding whilst clearly benefting the local which will help to improve a situation from DFID, this work has largely been economy, is also creating a range of and have we the right to do so? In facilitated by Tourism Concern’s own negative impacts, not least due to the this case our help was being sought funds – mostly derived from the fees sheer number of boats crowding the by NGOs representing local people in and donations of our supporters. We backwaters. India, and we felt we had experience are proud to have achieved so much in that might help us to act as a catalyst under a year and with a budget of less The issues for positive change. than £8,000. One of the most pressing issues revealed in our survey is that sewage and plastic waste are regularly being dumped into the waterways. With over 80 per cent of households who live along the backwaters relying on them for washing, cooking, and even drinking, such pollution poses a real threat to people’s health. Meanwhile, local fshermen stated that fuel, sewage and plastic are afecting fsh and prawn catches. Livelihoods within the agricultural sector are similarly being hit, TourismConcern campaign report Project Activities had developed, but also what the potential ways of mitigating them Stakeholders Gathering evidence could be, and possible practical Civil Society Our frst priority was to seek to challenges. Tere are numerous Backwaters communities verify the fndings of our survey. groups and individuals (stakeholders) NGOs representing them Extensive background research in houseboat tourism, from tourists Environmental groups to boat owners, government showed that similar concerns are Academics departments to local communities expressed in numerous studies and UK and international tourists (see stakeholder table, right). All of reports, including by academics and Domestic tourists by the Kerala government itself. these stakeholders have their own perspectives on the issues, some of Houseboat workers Tese included Kuoni’s Assessing which inevitably confict. Trade Unions Human Rights Impacts report, published in 2014, to which It has therefore been important Public Sector Tourism Concern contributed. to listen to these views – via Ministry of Tourism Its key aim was to ‘gain a more dozens of consultative meetings, Pollution Board of Control precise understanding of the human focus groups and workshops in India. Tis required patience and Ports Authority rights context of its operations Local government (panchayat) and business relationships in even-handedness – the mutually Kerala Responsible Tourism/KITTS India’ and the report included a reinforcing partnerships we have been trying to establish needed section analysing the community Private Sector to recognise the self-interest of impacts of the houseboat industry. Houseboat owners’ associations Kuoni found the same issues that each party and seek to fnd some consensus. Individual houseboat owners we had uncovered and gave a Local tour operators recommendation to ‘launch and Meanwhile we also followed UK and international tour operators implement a project with innovative up on the views of tourists and business partners, NGOs, specialists tour operators. Establishing and and the government to develop a communicating their support was were in touch with almost all of the best practice for houseboats’ – clear useful in demonstrating the business tour operators taking UK guests synergy with our own fndings. case for supporting a Code to to Kerala. Tere was widespread houseboat owners. With the help of enthusiasm and support for our Seeking consensus the Association of Independent Tour initiative. We were also helped in It was vital to fully understand the Operators (AITO), the Association identifying some houseboats that are nature of the various
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