Kerala to woo women tourists with app detailing tailored packages, women tour operators and guides

Thiruvananthapuram: As more and more women are travelling solo and in groups of their own, Kerala Tourism has decided to launch a mobile application listing women-friendly tourism packages, women tourist operators and guides, as well as suitable amenities, to make the visit to the state more pleasant and hassle-free for women travellers.

The State Responsible Tourism Mission (RT Mission), the nodal agency for implementing the 'Women-Friendly Tourism' project, has been asked to prepare the content of the app, which will have all location-specific information and images including the socio-cultural features of various places of Kerala, the tourism department said on Tuesday.

In a release, Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas said creating a "conducive ambience for women tourists" in the state is a policy priority of the government.

"We are living in a world where it has become a trend for women to travel to far off places in groups of their own or individually... The app on women-friendly tourism project will make the visit to Kerala more pleasant and hassle-free for women," Riyas said.

Riyas had rolled out the initiative in October last year, in tune with the UN Women's 'Gender Inclusive Tourism' concept, which sees women playing key roles in the tourism sector. Besides this initiative, the tourism department is rolling out a variety of women-friendly tourism products and packages.

Aiming at participation of 1.5 lakh women from the state, the project is being implemented with the support of various organisations including UN Women. It has set a target of creating 10,000 women ventures and 30,000 jobs in the tourism sector, the release said.

The mobile app marks the commencement of the second phase of activities of the pioneering project, it said, adding that apart from providing information about tourism centres in Kerala, the app will have all the details of women-friendly tourism products and packages, resorts, hotels, women enterprises, recognised tour operators, women tour operators, travel agencies, homestays and women tour guides.

The Tourism department also said that the app will include women-led handicraft and souvenir production and sales units, amenities like rest rooms, camping sites, licensed houseboats, caravan parks and ethnic cuisine units in various places, festivals and experiential and adventure packages.

RT Mission has started a massive information gathering exercise for inclusion in the app, besides studying the safety of women in tourism centres.

RT Mission is the nodal agency that is implementing the ‘Women-Friendly Tourism’ project, under which around 1,800 women have completed training in various aspects. Elected women representatives will undergo training in July.