NOVATEUR PUBLICATIONS JournalNX- A Multidisciplinary Peer Reviewed Journal ISSN No: 2581 - 4230 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5, May. -2021 INTEGRATED VILLAGE TOURISM FOR RURAL SUSTAINABILITY AND DEVELOPMENT: A REVIEW OF VILLAGE TOURISM AND ITS IMPACT ON THE ENVIRONMENT AND SOCIETY OF KUMBALANGHI MODEL TOURISM VILLAGE Arya Sudheer Department of Travel and Tourism, St. Albert’s College(Autonomous), Ernakulam, Kerala India Email:[email protected],Phone:8086620770 ABSTRACT: Tourism is considered an important tool Tourism is a multi-faceted activity of for Rural Development. Rural tourism has economic, social, cultural, and become popular in many parts of the world environmental inputs which cut across with the growing need for super segmentation other conventional sectors in the economy. of the tourism market [1,2]. The concept of Tourism creates more job opportunities for rural tourism and its development is useful for a wide spectrum of job seekers from the a country like India, where most of the Indian unskilled to the specialized, even in the population resides in villages. Indian Ministry remote parts of the country. Village tourism of Tourism reports in the Rural Tourism is among the most polymorphous of all scheme for infrastructure development forms of Special Interest Tourism [SIT]. It guidelines, that the trends of industrialization unveils the village life, art, culture, and and development have had an urban-centric heritage at its locations, thereby benefiting approach across the world [3]. This has caused the local community economically and falling income levels and lesser job socially by interacting with tourists and the opportunities leading to urbanization natives of the place for a more enriching syndrome in the rural areas. Rural tourism is tourism experience. It also gives considered an activity that can provide a opportunities to the guests to enjoy the solution to these problems. Besides, the other unique culture of village life through factors including, growing interest in heritage participation in events, experiencing the and culture, increasing levels of awareness, local cuisine, and collecting the ethnic improved accessibility to the areas, and goods, which in turn can improve the environmental consciousness which move the welfare of the local people. This paper trend towards rural tourism. The main aim of provides an overview of village tourism and the rural tourism scheme is to promote the the sustainable development of the rural village as the primary tourism product to ecosystem through integral activity and spread tourism and its socio-economic benefits thereby understands the influence of to the rural community and its new geographic tourism development among the local regions [4]. community and overall in Kumbalanghi The development of rural tourism has a village. potential impact on the economy by generating employment, bringing foreign exchange, Keywords :Kumbalanghi; rural tourism; benefit to small scale entrepreneurs, and sustainable; model tourism village; improvement in public services, such as roads, ecotourism; rural development electricity, telecommunication, proper INTRODUCTION: sanitization, etc for a better standard of living [5]. Rural tourism helps to develop social, 256 | P a g e NOVATEUR PUBLICATIONS JournalNX- A Multidisciplinary Peer Reviewed Journal ISSN No: 2581 - 4230 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5, May. -2021 cultural, and educational values. This kind of 2007, 139 rural tourism projects in 27 States tourism makes cultural understanding through were sanctioned by the Ministry of Tourism fairs and festivals and also makes the exchange including 36 rural sites where UNDP supported of culture beneficial for both. The market for capacity-building initiatives. Village tourism agro products and handicrafts will develop in was not aggressively promoted in Kerala until rural areas, therefore farmers and artisans will the Union Government has been chosen develop direct contact with the customers. It three serene rural destinations from Kerala; reduces the migration of rural people to urban Aranmula, Balaramapuram, and Kumbalangi areas. Employment in rural tourism requires for an innovative development project. At qualified personnel, which helps to educate present more villages are promoted as young people to get the job they want and it tourism destinations as part of the also helps to empower the women. Benefits get development program [7]. from tourism enable rural people to learn to Kerala is the first state in India to preserve the natural habitats, bio-diversity declare tourism as an industry in 1986 by the historical monuments and also learn the Government of Kerala. Both the central and importance of preservation of natural state government tourism policy documents resources. They will also learn to protect their state that Kerala tourism is one of the best- traditional values and beliefs. On the economic liberalized tourism models with the private plan, the existence of jobs in rural tourism sector leading tourism development. requires local government revenue, and then Availability of a variety of attractions, unique the revenue can head in form of various cultural diversity, and tradition, investments for the rural community [6]. geographical characteristics are the elements Therefore, an attempt has been made through that have attracted tourists to this this review to study and enumerate the destination for centuries [8]. In the below development and marketing of rural tourism in table the status of Kerala tourism 2019 in Kumbalangi, a small village in Ernakulam terms of foreign tourist arrival has shown a District, Kerala. rise of 8.52% over the previous year and the foreign exchange earnings have increased at VILLAGE TOURISM IN KERALA- ANALYSIS a rate of 17.19% from 2018 to 2019. OF MINISTRY OF TOURISM GOVERNMENT Domestic tourists are the main sources of OF INDIA: earning in Kerala tourism. Domestic tourist The Ministry of Tourism, Government of arrival has shown an increase of 17.81% in India initiated the Endogenous Tourism 2019 over the previous year with an increase Project- Rural Tourism Scheme (ETP-RTS) in of 24.14% total revenue generation over the collaboration with United Nations previous year [9]. Village tourism has been Development Programme in 2003. gaining more importance among other forms Infrastructure development of the projects was of tourism due to its sustainability and funded by the Ministry of Tourism and funds responsibility among the host and guest. for capacity building were provided by the With trends like increasing levels of awareness, United Nations Development Programme environmental consciousness, growing interest (UNDP) for 36 rural tourism sites. A maximum in heritage and culture and improved of INR 5000000 was sanctioned for each accessibility, rural tourism shows a significant project under this scheme for the development market opportunity in Kerala. of tourism-related infrastructure. From 2003- 257 | P a g e NOVATEUR PUBLICATIONS JournalNX- A Multidisciplinary Peer Reviewed Journal ISSN No: 2581 - 4230 VOLUME 7, ISSUE 5, May. -2021 Table 1: Kerala Tourist Statistics 2019 center developed, publicity, awareness, and Year No. of foreign Foreign Total revenue training programs have been provided. This tourist Exchange generated Earnings (Direct and project has been completed in the year 2005 Indirect) and it has given satisfactory results to the International Domestic International Domestic villagers [10]. 2019 1189771 18384233 10271.06crores `45010.69 3.2 Kumbalanghi is a coastal village known as Crores 2018 1096407 15604661 `8764.46crores `36258.01Crores the first "Model Tourism Village" of Kerala is continuously under development through innovative schemes for community EVALUATION OF RURAL TOURISM development and sustainability. The major PROJECTS FROM KERALA BY THE MINISTRY attractions are cuisine, boat building, OF TOURISM, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA: traditional fishing, marine pastoral setting, etc. Ministry of Tourism, Government of The Secretary/Central Public Works India conducted an evaluation and impact Department Thiruvananthapuram and The study of selected 107 rural tourism projects District Collector, Kumbalanghi Grama spread across all the states in India to Panchayath are the main organizing agencies. understand the impact the tourism projects After the completion of the project in 2005, have made in the villages community and both domestic and foreign tourists' arrival has whether the tourists have been attracted by increased, approach roads have been made, the the features of the rural tour. The project aims office has been made, the local area has been at enhancing the development management of developed, the compound wall has been the location and the lives of the residents. The developed, the park has been partially project has software content and hardware completed. software work like awareness content. Software content was meant to programs has been provided, training positively orient the people towards tourism programs have been provided. Marketing, the and to help them to take up different decisive printing of brochures and websites have been roles in connection with the implementation of developed has also been completed the project. Therefore large numbers of successfully. Due to the implementation of the training programs were conducted for the project Artisans are getting benefits and socio- residents. The hardware content addresses economic conditions also improved [10]. primarily the development of basic 3.3 Aranmula is a